A Twisting Heart And Mind
by FangamerBowiextreme
Summary: While unbeknown to her, Sarah has succeeded in obtaining the one thing the Goblin King has desired for hundreds of years -power over the Labyrinth. After being hidden for years from his diabolical wrath, Sarah finds herself alone and vulnerable as Jareth's dark desires are finally aloud to rear their ugly heads. As always, the only question is, are things really as they seem?
1. A King A Board And A Pawn

**A/N- Ok, I know this is awful since I'm only like half way into Of Dreams And Broken Things, but when inspiration strikes...what is one to do? I have some solid ideas for this one. I hope you like it. With that said, feel free to let me know. As with most authors on this site, I am a review whore. So yes, hammer me with all your delicious comments =D Anyways, updates of Of Dreams And Broken Things will continue at a fairly regular pace, alongside this one, so hang in there. Alright, here it goes (fingers crossed)-**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Labyrinth, its characters, Jim Henson Productions or David Bowie. This story is of my own fiction and purely for entertainment use.

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Chapter 1, A King, A Board, And A Pawn

The air was cold and still, emanating a haunting chill over forgotten icy stone. The sensational claws of foreboding were all that ripped through the void deprived of all but shadow and solitude. It was dark, the only visibility being the few precious inches of stone floor revealed by the weakening light of a torch. It flickered and spat, waging war with the seizing hands of creeping shadow. Slowly the light moved, step by step. The only clue as to the passing of time were tessellating creases of stone tiles moving through the clarity of golden light. The room existed within this small boundary, it held mass and reality within the unstable ring of light, and threatened destruction by the engulfing darkness; it was suffocating. It was emptiness. It was nothing. It was eternal. It was everything.

The echo of lonely footsteps layered one another, resonating within hidden walls. Time ticked to the haunting metronome, and came to a halt once they reached their destination in the center of the room. Light from the torch danced over the emerging form of a stone pillar. It was stale and lonely, waiting one eternity after another for the hope of light to breath life back into it. It was plain, revealing nothing significant but a golden saucer atop the plinth. The light flickered white across the saucer, revealing the dark fluid pooled within. All was still until the remnants of echoing footsteps faded back into the abyss.

Slowly, the light descended, touching down into the bowl. It crackled and roared as the flame took hold of the dark liquid, spreading its golden hue. The torch retracted, waiting expectantly as the light in the bowl grew and beamed.

The fire seemed to dance in a magical show of allure and awe as wisps of flame and tendrils of light twisted and twirled their way up into the darkness. They spun and constricted, creating a vine that stretched and burgeoned into an impregnated ball of light. The glow shifted and grew, bubbling into a fiery blossom. Sparks flew from its stem, and escaping waves of fire swayed and twirled like falling leaves.

And then the light started to dim. Soft sparkles drifted and fell back to the saucer, snuffing out as they made contact with the once combusting liquid. The light hardened and took volume while the blossom continued to flourish. When the enchanting moment was over, the rest of the fire dimmed, revealing the golden rose that hovered in its wake. It glowed, and swayed in an non-existent breeze, floating just over the pool of black liquid which rippled and shimmered as remaining sparkles continued to fall.

"No good can come from a King who beacons at such an hour." Came a chilling hiss with snake-like sensuality, echoing through the darkness.

"Must the King's company always equate to notions of foul play?" Answered a voice much darker.

"A King whose company is shared for a price, invariably costs most foul indeed." The voice answered, changing from an ominous echo to something more -feminine. There was a low rumble of laughter from the shadows.

"You know me well." Answered the King most sinister.

"I know your game. After all, I am the board." Said the echo.

As the mysterious voice faded into blackness, the rose started to twitch. The petals of the flourishing bloom began to twist and pull. In a sight almost as magical as the formation of the rose itself, the head of the flower dispersed as it spread into the glorious wings of a flaming butterfly.

The angelic glow fluttered its wings, and slowly glided about the pillar. Its form appeared to lag, making it seem as if there were multiples of itself as it glided from one side to the other. It started to glow brighter, making up for the lack of lighting from the once present fire.

"So what does your company cost me, Goblin King." The voice was distinctly woman now, and sounded vaguely irritated. Jareth's face remained impassive behind the flickering light of his torch.

"You know why I'm here." Jareth said, echoing the weighted darkness around him.

"I get so few visitors...you say you're here to keep me company; and I do so adore the art of pleasant conversation. Please, humor me, My King." Said the voice, presumably emanating from the strange magical butterfly floating in front of Jareth's face. The Goblin King's expression tensed, but revealed nothing else.

"You know what tonight is." His voice was low and rumbling. His eyes watched as the creature fluttered this way and that.

"Tonight is a night, like many others." It responded. Jareth did his best to restrain his irritated sigh.

"You can not keep her from me." His voice was harsh but contained.

"It is my soul obligation to protect her -from _all_ those who may wish her harm." The voice annunciated. Jareth felt his ears give an involuntary twitch.

"You believe_ me_ to wish her harm?" Jareth said, sounding half amused.

"I believe you to be up to no good, Goblin King." The voice was quick to retort. Jareth's lips curled in a toothy sneer.

"But, do you believe me to wish her harm?" His voice was lighter, more pronounced.

"Harm comes in many forms, My Liege." Said the woman-butterfly-fire thing.

"Three years, you've kept her from me. I will wait no longer." He chose to change directions.

"You forget your place, My Lord. You do not command me." The voice grew with considerable intensity. Jareth bit back his anger.

"I am well aware of our -arrangement." He forced his voice to be slow and clipped. "But, you forget yours. She is of age, her will independent. You may no longer bar her from me." Jareth's voice purred with increasing arrogance.

"The Labyrinth will protect its Champion. I will do what is necessary to protect _my_ master." The woman's voice was cold and distant. Jareth bit the inside of his cheek.

"You are still under the impression that she requires protecting. I wish her no harm...quite the opposite in fact." He said, letting his grin show through. The butterfly slowed.

"What is your game, Goblin King." It said after a moment. Jareth's sneer widened.

"I thought you knew?" He asked with sheer mockery.

"Enlighten me." Responded the woman.

"I plan to take her hand." He said, sounding ominously genuine.

"The girl? The girl who made you and your kingdom crumble, the mortal who denied you and all, the child who bested you at your own game?" The voice rambled in disbelief, making sure every description made a heavy blow against the Goblin King. Jareth took a very, very deep breath.

"The woman. The woman who made faithful allies of my subjects, the being that stood as my equal, the only living soul to ever solve my Labyrinth. Who better to rule by my side than my Labyrinth's Champion? Who better deserves the title of becoming the Goblin Queen?" He stated quickly, correcting all of the woman's intended insults. He'd had a hard time swallowing the pride that kept him from admitting such things, and had actually bit the inside of his cheek while saying it, but he'd been preparing for this.

"I smell something foul." The voice muttered. Jareth stifled a laugh.

"All games have their tricks, but I assure you this is my intention. What better way for her to rule you and you to protect her than having her here? At your side as well as my own?" He tried to reason with the insect, struggling to give it an honest smile.

"The fearsome Goblin King holds no grudges over the mortal girl -a child- who beat him to the very thing he's strived for, for hundreds of years?" The magic-flaming-butterfly wasn't falling the Goblin King's charms so easily, seeing the strain he put into his smile. Jareth's brow twitched, and his mouth pressed into a hard line. She was being condescending on purpose...she was trying to unravel him with his own rage. He was smarter than that -it would come in time.

"All the more reason to take her as a faithful ally." Jareth's voice was strong with eons of practiced sincerity. If butterflies had facial expressions, this one would be scowling.

"Her will is strong, stronger than you know. The years have only made her more fierce. Her soul feeds from mine. We are connected. You cannot take her, even with the ward removed. She must come to you willingly, Goblin King." The voice informed, she was starting to come around. After all, the Labyrinth needed to be ruled, and its master needed closer safe-keeping. While It was sure Jareth was certainly up to no good and didn't believe an ounce of sincerity he had put into his words, he had verbally proclaimed to take the girl is his Queen, that alone granted her some level of protection. While Jareth protected her from the world, the Labyrinth would protect her from Jareth.

"She will come." Jareth said, hiding his victory smirk behind the shadows.

"This is a dangerous game you play." Said the voice.

"I know the rules." Jareth's voice bubbled with cynicism. The butterfly continued to float.

"As do I." It responded. Jareth's body tensed in a stance of dominance.

"Then you know you can not interfere." He said. There was a pause.

"I will do what I must. My will is at her behest." The voice was as sharp as a razor's edge. Jareth pushed his snarl inward.

"Her behest is naught. With my command or not you will remove the ward. In this you have no choice." The Goblin King's voice hissed and rumbled. There was a lengthy silence as the two entities regarded one another. The butterfly floated and fluttered, registering the Goblin King's burst of anger and haste. He was determined she do this, she might even go as far as to say he was desperate...he was planning something, and she had a sickening inclination as to what. The butterfly continued to brood, realizing that if she were to gain any further knowledge she must allow him to make his move. The next words spoken were with blatant trepidation.

"...Very well. As His Majesty's request, the ward will be lifted upon the hour of her eighteenth year. You are free to look upon and approach the girl." The voice was cold and sterile, regretting the words as soon as they were spoken, but he was right, she had no choice. The Labyrinth's concealing ward ended with Sarah's childhood, and she was by no means a child anymore. The glowing entity fought a strain of worry at the thought, knowing the dark intensions of Its King.

Knowing he had crossed the threshold of victory, Jareth let loose the bindings on his snake-like grin, letting his inner motives play openly across his face from ear to ear in the flickering light. As if It were sensing the dark aura pour out of the deepest, blackest regions of Jareth's brain, the creature spoke up again.

"You may look and touch, but you can not keep. She must come to you of her own free will Goblin King, do well to remember." There was an inaudible sense of worry behind the sternness in the glowing insect's voice. Jareth's smoldering grin settled into a humble curl of the lips and his eyes narrowed on the beguiling figure.

"And you know what will happen once she does concede of her own free will." Jareth's voice was low and ominous.

"Yes." Affirmed the voice. Jareth's brow twitched in haughty amusement.

"Then you know you are powerless." The arrogance in his voice went unmasked.

"My power lies with her. Do not underestimate her again. It will be your second greatest downfall." The voice said, taking another stab at her imperious King's ego. Jareth felt a low heat in his chest, angry that he was being scolded by a butterfly.

The voice of the Labyrinth held its weight in gold. She knew the Goblin King to be selfish and arrogant, and had already assumed his true intentions. He wanted the girl, he wanted the power, he wanted the Labyrinth. Yes, they were playing a dangerous game indeed. The outright demand of the Goblin King spoke volumes to how much protection was needed, not just for Sarah but for the Labyrinth as well. But, he was right. In this instance, she held no power over his or Sarah's actions, and knew she would hold even less after what he was foreboding. But, that was all just a part of the game, raising the stakes. She knew her hand, and unknown to Jareth, knew his hand as well. She'd allow him this victory, allow him to stack his deck and build his bluff -a bluff she would call out all or nothing. There were plans, and there were_ plans_. And the wisdom of the Labyrinth would weave Jareth's against itself, for his own sake, for Sarah's sake, and for most of all, the Labyrinth's sake.

Choosing to shake off the Labyrinth's stinging comment, Jareth instead responded with the joyous ascendancy he wielded far too well.

"I have no where to go but up. And, now that I have your official blessing, I believe that is exactly where I will go." Jareth said, giving a more than necessary and overly exaggerated bow and roll of the hand. Ah, yes, chivalrous gloating at its finest.

"Be wary, My King. Things may not be what they seem." Warned the voice, chirping in while Jareth's head was still descended. He felt the pull of a smirk, and stood before the pillar with easy grace, taking hold of the lapels of his jacket as he responded.

"They rarely are." He said with a tilt of the head and the quirk of a brow. He was happy, more than happy. The spirit of the Labyrinth's attentions narrowed. All the dark frustration and demand was gone. Surely, that wasn't a good sign. Jareth then vanished, both into and away from the darkness, leaving nothing but the echo of his final few words.

In the first few moments of resumed solitude, the golden glowing butterfly continued to flutter through the murky depths of hollow darkness, contemplating the consequences of the gateway she'd just opened. Slowly, the glow started to dim as the creature glided closer and closer towards the golden saucer atop the pillar. With the grace of a wayward feather, it touched down on the liquid, sending sparkling ripples across the surface. As the glow receded, the wings of the butterfly draped and cast over the pool of liquid, both sinking and dissolving into it in a colorful swirl like the rainbow of gasoline mixing with water.

And then the light was gone. The room was blank and endless once more, the sole pillar forgotten, leaving nothing but the haunting notion that the integrity of both their bluffs now rested in the ignorant hands of an eighteen-year-old girl, and could only hope that she'd been lucky enough to be dealt some semblance of a wild card. For her part, maybe then she'd have an inkling of hope towards leveling the playing field. The entity gave an invisible sigh, sending a slight breeze throughout the hollow. Already, the odds weren't looking very promising. The Goblin King rarely lost, only once, only with her. Perhaps that was enough leveling on its own? And in that, the spirit of the Labyrinth found the reprieve it needed to back up the reasoning for the hole it'd just placed Sarah in.

* * *

The iridescent glow of the digital clock loomed silently on the nightstand to the side of Sarah's bed. 11:59 pm. One more minute and she'd be another year older, but she didn't know that. She was fast asleep, curled up under the mass of cotton and comforter she'd cocooned herself in.

It was late May; the weather was at that odd transition between Spring and Summer, meaning bolstering hot days and crisp cold nights. She'd left the window open, letting the cool night air wash out all the humidity and heat the day had baked into her room. She gave an involuntary shiver in her sleep, feeling a sharp, chilling breeze suddenly blow across what little skin that was left exposed to the night air. She murmured, and rolled onto her side. As she settled back into her stupor, her unconscious self was unable to acknowledge that the strong burst of air was not the result of an innocent breeze.

There was a creaking of wood, and a faint scratching sound, breeching the calm tranquility of the night. Sleek talons clawed onto the windowsill, bracing as powerful wings flapped to an abrupt halt, sending the surge of air that had breezed over Sarah.

There was a pitter patter as a large white and golden owl shuffled along the windowsill. It leaned across the threshold, ruffling its feathers as it did so. It soon fell quiet, and the alien bird tilted its head, observing everything from a perpendicular angle.

The owl's large black eyes scanned over its new surroundings. A blue and silver haze blotched itself between roaming shadows. Normally, he wouldn't be able to see much from the shadows, but his owl-vision allowed him to see clearly in the darkness. Everything seemed so familiar, yet the room held a strange unwelcomeness reminiscent of a land yet to be discovered. In that theory, it was true. He'd never been in Sarah's room before, only watched from a nearby tree. Yes, it did seem familiar. He recognized the white post bed and matching dressers and shelves. He even recognized the orange and green tacky wallpaper and her poster of M.C. Escher's staircase hanging on the wall. He didn't know if it was a smile or a grimace he felt threatening to break the cold expression of his inner self. What he didn't recognize and immediately noticed was the clutter free organization and absence of all her toys and stuffed animals. Gone were her dolls and teddy bears and boardgames, replaced with rather highly sophisticated books, DVD's, pictures of friends, random memoirs and assorted electronics. The walls were decked with posters of presumably popular musicians and classic to modern plays. Aside from those few accessories, her room was bare, the only scatter being the sprawl of textbooks and notepads open on a work desk. As he looked around, he saw the only other light was coming from a clock on a bedside table. 12:00 am.

As the owl examined the now other worldly room, he couldn't shake the low wave of unsettledness that came with it. His head returned to its upright position once his gaze fell over the mound of blankets atop the twin bed. His keen eyesight did little to reveal the form beneath, she was covered in blankets with her head turned away from him. All he could see was the cascading mass of her midnight hair falling over her pale blue comforter. He felt a flare of excitement and swooped into the room, sending another gust of air, and causing tendrils of Sarah's hair to go up in gentle wisps.

Sarah shivered again, rolling in the opposite direction. The blanket fell down her shoulder, and she frowned in her sleep, continuing to fidget under the absent blanket.

After a whimsical twirl of feather and fabric, Jareth stood before the bed in all his sparkling glory. He was wearing an outfit similar to that of his last moments with Sarah three years ago -white pants, white shirt with a feathery cape, less dramatic this time of course- a result of just shifting from his owl form. His entrance held its usual grandeur, though he minded not to wake her. She was facing him now, thick waves of hair blocking out her face. His heart was pounding, he'd left the heart of the Labyrinth and the Underground so fast -all the anxiety of the past three years was culminating to this moment. Oh, there were so many things he wanted to do. Should he wake her? Have his wicked way then and now? Or wait and draw out her agony? Should he leave her sleeping, and rip her from her fantasies and throw her into her nightmares? There were countless paths to follow from one end of the spectrum to the other. So many things he wanted to do. So many things he was going to do. And as he stood, giddy as can be, he realized just how excited he was and, rather reluctantly, pulled the reigns on his whirling mind. _Gods, calm down! Soon, you'll have all of eternity to taunt and torment the poor girl. Savor this moment, this peace, after all it may very well be her last_. _ Besides, you're here on business, remember!_ He felt an inner smile at the resolution. Taunt and torment, yes two of his favorite past times. He'd had fun toying with her back then, but she was a woman now, and that meant a whole new kind of_ taunt_ and _torment. _After a moment, he took a breath, quelling his frantic burst of excitement.

While keeping his attention on Sarah, Jareth peered around the room once more. It was far darker without his night-vision. He couldn't get over how different everything was. He was expecting...what was he expecting? Toys and boardgames? No, surely not for a girl her age. But for some reason, the absence of the things that labeled her childhood left something uncanny within the depths of his thoughts. But, that was precisely the reason he was here. She wasn't a child anymore, so this should come as no surprise. What was he expecting again?

Once his eyes lazily made their way back to his sleeping beauty, he felt a flare of unbridled curiosity and knelt down on one knee and leaned over the bed. He waved a gloved hand above her, sending a pulse of magic through her in-order to insure she would not wake. He then cocked his head to one side and focused his gaze on her muffled features. Unsatisfied, he brought a hand to her forehead and swept away the layers of raven colored hair.

Jareth's eyes narrowed, and he felt a disturbing emptiness as he gazed upon Sarah for the first time in three long years. She had aged, very much so. Her face was longer, more angled, any trace of baby fat long gone. Long and feathered lashes splayed along her cheeks and her cranberry lips parted only slightly as she took one shallow breath after another. The soft moonlight cast a glimmer over her hair and a luminous hum over her pale skin. She was striking. Again, the uncanny feeling returned, causing his brow to furrow. Why was he so caught off guard by this? Of course she looked older, she was older. Was he really expecting the same fifteen-year-old brat from so long ago? An inner part of him grumbled, knowing the answer was yes. He chided his own foolishness.

Sarah shuffled her shoulder up into her cheek in her sleep, effectively drawing the brooding Goblin King from his curious contemplations. Jareth's eyes narrowed on her bare shoulder and reflexively drew the blanket up and over, ridding himself of any further distractions. He'd waited three years for this, since the very moment he'd realized the full extent of Sarah's victory. He'd been kept away for so long, barred from looking at her, even knowing where she was. He felt powerless. It drove him mad. And now she was here, so close to being his. He needed to keep focus. He'd reap the fruit of his spoils soon enough, and the fact that the very sight of her pale and exposed shoulder was labeled a distraction confirmed his need for stronger discipline. No matter the games they played, no matter the part she played in them, he needed to stay above it. No matter how much this was about Sarah, this wasn't about Sarah. He'd told himself this mantra over and over, now realizing his very words held little to no hold over him. He became angry with the realization, blaming her for his own petty coveting.

And as if that was the tear that had reopened a long forgotten wound, Jareth's thoughts started to fester. The way she lay so peacefully, enjoying the serenity of sleep, relishing in her picturesque human life, while he endured night after night of turmoil and frustration. Every day he thought of her, her image rose and fell with the sun. Everything. Everything about her -from the prize she'd stolen from him to the wanton feel of her would-be caress. He wanted to ravage her in every possible sense of the word. Could she say the same? While he highly doubted it, frankly he just didn't know. And he realized in that instant that, that was what griped him so much. Three years with nothing. He had no idea how she had grown and changed. No idea of her thoughts and dreams. Perhaps it was this inability to act that drove him so. The need for such information infuriated him. Why did he care? It certainly didn't matter. He glared at the complacent expression that donned her hauntingly beguiling face, and another strain of anger wormed its way through. _She really has no idea what she is, does she? All these years..and she's just a normal adolescent. She has no idea of the power she wields, power that should belong to me. Does she even remember the Underground?_ For some reason, his mind's eye now perceived Sarah's numbing expression as irritatingly smug. Jareth's thoughts started a vicious rampage of ill-thought out assumptions, disgusted with questions he'd never thought to ask. Soon, he found himself snarling at the immobile starlet in front of him. Why was he so angry with her? She was sleeping, doing nothing ill or vein in the slightest, the exact opposite in fact. Was that it? Was he spiteful of her peacefulness? Again, the voice in the back of his mind rang through -_What were you expecting? _ He forced back any further anger by grinding his teeth. _It doesn't matter. She will fit my plan regardless. I will make her remember, I will make her forget. She will give me what I want. And then, what ever's left will be mine for the taking as well._ His thoughts snarled.

It was then that he decided on a course of action, the question of her thoughts and dreams coming back to him. He brought a hand to her temple, and ran the backs of his fingers down the side of her face. His eyes narrowed, and he succeeded in hiding the ghostly smile creeping along his face. A part of him chastised his actions, for allowing himself to give in -to spite of all things. He knew it was childish, he was better than that, always keeping his emotions reserved and in check, but right now he just didn't care. The sight of Sarah's metaphoric halo brought a wave of unexplained resentment and unhindered irritation to the forefront of his mind. Yes, he'd weave his way into her mind, crawl under her skin and shatter her nerves -see how she really felt, learn what she really remembered and undoubtedly use such information to his advantage. Soon, he would know Sarah's dreams, he would know her nightmares. He reveled in the power he held to decide which he would grant her. And then a more delicious thought came to mind. _...maybe I'll be generous, and give her something...more._ The glint of his sharp teeth shone like a predator's fangs in the pale moonlight. In the next moment he was gone, leaving nothing but the faint echo of his laughter to wash over Sarah as she started to toss and turn.


	2. Dreamweaver

Chapter 2, Dreamweaver

The air was crisp and shimmered with the white light of early morning. The wind blew with a shallow and easy grace, carrying a chill that frosted over the land creating a petrified phantasm of mist and glistening blades of grass.

Sarah shifted in her sleep and began to stir. Something felt...odd. She was cold and warm at the same time. She felt moisture on her skin, a kind of uncomfortable humidity that made her shiver instead of sweat. She scrunched her shoulders and curled into herself, encompassing her biceps with splayed fingers. She took a sharp breath and shuddered, feeling an icy chill flush her fingertips. Why was it so cold? She wriggled her brow and frowned, resisting the impulse to open her eyes.

She felt and heard something crunch beneath her and drew a confused brow, giving in to the pull of consciousness and opening her eyes.

Sarah's lashes fluttered as she brought focus into her weary eyes. She saw...green? Lots and lots of green. She scowled and leaned up on an elbow, placing the other hand flat palm on the ground and then quickly drew it away. It was cold and wet. The sensation caught her off guard, sending a small rush of adrenaline to further rouse her woozy mind. She brought her hand close to her face and examined it. The pale skin of her palm was glistening and dark blotches splattered her sleeve. She scowled one last time before bringing her gaze out and around to scan over her surroundings. _ I'm outside? Why am I outside? _She wondered, shifting over brittle blades of grass.

She brought a hand to the side of her head and frowned. _ How did I get out here? Why is everything so hazy? _She looked around once more, slowly recognizing the landmarks scattered around her. She saw a river...and a bridge...great stone pillars that dotted the water's edge. _ I'm in the park?_ She thought, bemused.

"What was I doing here again?" She wondered allowed, glancing down to the ground as she spoke. It was then that her brow drew once more. "What am I wearing?" She asked the world, stammering to her feet.

Sarah plucked at the skirt of her dress with confused distaste. It was all white, with wide lace trim along the cuffs and neckline and hung off the shoulders in a gentle V. Before giving herself the chance to ponder her apparel, she ran a hand from her shoulder, down her waist and over the skirt of the dress, brushing away broken blades of grass. She shook her head and made a *guck* sound in the back of her throat. She was soaked. How long had she been out here?

While swatting away loose grass and grime, Sarah spotted something out of the corner of her eye. She glanced to the side and saw a small stack of papers fluttering in the breeze. She knelt down and picked it up, examining the text most thoroughly.

_~"A Lover's Ploy"_

_an adaptation of "Acontius and Cyddipe"_

_Act 1~_

Sarah scratched her head as she skimmed through the pages.

"Hmm...I must have been rehearsing..." She said with uncertainty, glancing around the park once more.

The sky was clouded and bland, casting a gray haze over the landscape. There was a soft mist hovering over the grass, and glistening beads of dew twinkled from the trees. _What time is it?_ She winced.

As Sarah contemplated just how in the hell she had gotten there, she was distracted by a distinctive and unfamiliar noise -a pulse. It was faint at first, but was quickly growing in volume. She felt the tremble of creaking grass beneath her feet as the low bass coursed in steady waves through the ground. She looked up, following the direction her ears had pointed her in. She saw the forest, and focused her eyes on the darkening tree-line.

As if waiting just for her, a warm glow illuminated from behind the trees. Sarah's back stiffened, and she watched as the small ball of light was joined by many, many others. The pulsing tone was slowly creeping its way around Sarah's brain, while the entrancing light stole her gaze. Sarah stood, stupefied, staring at the riot blooming from within the trees. As the pulse thumped and thumped, it was soon joined by an echo of laughter. Slowly, eerily so, layer after layer of insidious laugher started to flood Sarah's ears. The sound bewitching her, pulling her in.

She took a step and paused, her trance being broken by the sudden flicker of the glowing orbs. She felt a chill run down her spine, but it wasn't from the cold. The lights...they were like eyes -watching her...hungry.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth in her chest and and uncontrollable compulsion to take another step -and another, and another and another - until she found herself watching like a specter as her mindless body trudged deeper and deeper into the forest.

The farther Sarah walked, the less hold the compulsion had over her. Her mind creeped its way back to her body as she felt the alien influence being replaced by her own desire. Curiosity bloomed in Sarah as the floating balls of light refined into definite shapes and the riotous echoing split into distinctive and coherent voices. She realized the flicker was being caused by moving shadows, beings that were passing in front of the light. She reached out, and peeled back obstructing tree branches and bushes, stepping further and further towards the epicenter of the sound.

"There you are!" Came a loud and scolding shriek, utterly shattering all of Sarah's mystified stupor. Sarah jumped half way to heaven, whirling around to face the startling voice. She gasped, and in an instant her eyes plunged back into her head.

"Becky?" Sarah exclaimed with both relief and exasperation. She buckled over slightly, drawing a hand to her chest. "Jesus, you scared the crap out of me. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Looking for you. What do you think? Where have you been?" The girl asked. Her tone was blatantly condescending. Sarah's eyes narrowed and her head twitched.

"What? What are you talking about...what the hell are you wearing?" Sarah asked, bewildered, and eyeing her friend up and down.

Becky stood, hands on hips, scowling at Sarah, and apparently not very appreciative of her tone. She was tall and thin, with a pointy nose and lush golden hair, hair that was now hidden by her both overly-bland and over-the-top costume. Sarah's eyes roamed from her white and gray, toe length gown, all the way to the boxy-looking veil that framed her disgruntled looking face. She looked...strange, like a nun, or an old-style nurse. Sarah cocked her head to one side, having hit a small revelation.

"Wait...were you rehearsing too?" Sarah asked, pointing a finger at the drab piece of fabric that hung from Becky's frame. Becky crinkled her nose.

"Now, that is enough young lady!" She exclaimed, swatting away Sarah's accusatory finger. "You know very well what I am wearing! Now, do come along. Your absence has already been noted." Sarah open mouth gawked at the more than odd behavior of her friend. Ok, so Becky was playing the role of the nurse in the school play but she'd never taken rehearsal this seriously. Hell, she'd never uttered a single line outside of play practice. Where did she even get that costume?

Sarah found herself fighting the urge to break down and giggle. That costume, and those words coming out of Becky's mouth -it was like trying to hammer a square into a circular hole. Bright blue eyes, a California tan way eastward of California, and the adorable sprinkle of freckles across the nose could hardly be paired with a medieval uniform of chastity and an eloquent tongue.

"Wow, um..alright then." Sarah said between muffled giggles. If she was going to take her role seriously, then good for her. Sarah found amusement in playing along. Becky huffed and stomped away, beaconing Sarah to follow.

Sarah scampered up to walk alongside Becky-er her nurse rather, snickering along the way. It was so unlike Becky to actually enact a role, always chastising Sarah for _"playing dress up and getting lost in fantasy land"_. She'd purposefully gone for lesser roles for that very reason, while Sarah aspired to nothing less than the forefront of the stage. While Becky was cast the nurse, Sarah had been given the lead of Cyddipe in her school's upcoming play, based on the Greek love story of Acontius and Cyddipe. Maybe they were doing some kind of outdoor dress rehearsal? But why was she sleeping? Why couldn't she remember? For some reason, the need for the answer to those questions didn't seem very urgent.

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked, peering through bushes and vines. Becky gruffed and pushed on through, silently scolding as if offended by Sarah's question.

Sarah pouted in sated amusement as she followed her friend through the brush and into a small clearing. She looked up and all around. The lights she'd seen, they were lanterns, dozens of paper lanterns lining the rim of the small clearing. She had to narrow her eyes into the shadows too make out the cloth canopy hanging from nearby trees, shielding the area. _Wait, when did it get dark out? _ Sarah was baffled, looking all around and realizing it was now pitch black out. The light from the lanterns glowed even brighter.

Looking over Becky's shoulder, Sarah spied what looked to be some kind of party going on in the center of the clearing. There was a large stone fire pit surrounded by exceptionally long and heavy looking banquet tables on three sides. There were people there, eating and laughing. There were tall poles and pillars, donned with wild decorations of vines and colorful flowers. There were tables to the far left wielding impressively burgeoned barrels. There were clusters of people gathered around, filling their gauntlets with a dark liquid spurting from the barrels. To the right, in the absence of a fourth table, there were stone steps leading up to an alter. There was an impressive statue of a woman standing about twelve feet high behind it. Sarah cocked her head to one side. _Are these the props for the play?_ She wondered.

Before she could gape any further, Sarah was brought to an abrupt halt once Becky had led them to an empty bench close to the magnificent alter. Still dazed and confused, she complacently took a seat beside Becky, resuming to scan over the area.

She hadn't realized it before, but there was a significant amount of space between the tables and the fire pit, enough so that a mass of cloaked figures had taken it as a dance floor. It was only then that she registered the sound of music, a haunting melody of strings and drums. She looked around, but could see no band. Giving up on finding the musicians in question, her eyes roamed from the group of merrymakers to the platters and bowls of food lining down the table._ Gah, where did all this come from? Who are all these people?_ She thought.

"Becky? Who are all these people? I don't think I recognize any of them." Sarah asked, reluctantly taking her gaze from the lustrous dancers.

"Why the townsfolk, who else? And of course you don't recognize them, they're all wearing masks." Becky answered. Sarah narrowed her eyes at her "nurse". They weren't wearing masks...were they?

Sarah's head darted back towards the crowd. _No...definitely not wearing masks...why would she say that? _Sarah's mind grew more and more suspicious. _This is all so...strange. What is going on? I thought this was a greek play? Why are people wearing masks and hanging Maypoles? What are we even doing out here? No, this is wrong._

Just when Sarah's mind was on the verge of breaching some epic dam of truth and realizations, something bright and red came bounding in front of her face.

Both Sarah and Becky jumped as a bright red apple flew from out of no where and bounced off the surface of the table. Sarah's eyes widened fractionally as she watched the shiny red fruit roll to a creaking halt before them. Sarah was lost in the wisps of light that reflected across the deep red skin the fruit, before a hand reached out and plucked it from her line of view.

Sarah's eyes followed the apple, watching intently as Becky examined it. She watched Becky's eyes narrow, and her mouth murmur as if she were struggling to read something.

"What is it?" Sarah asked, her eyes locked on Becky's face. Becky shook her head and frowned.

"It says something...there's something carved into it." She said, turning the ripe fruit in her hands. Sarah's glare intensified.

"Let me see." Sarah demanded, holding out a hand as Becky turned and offered it to her. Sarah clutched the the apple close to her face, turning it from left to right as her eyes viciously scanned over the scripture. "I swear by the temple of Artemis that I shall marry -" Sarah's breath caught in her throat, crushed under the weight of the rock she'd just choked down. "Jareth?" She muttered, drawing her brow tighter than it had ever been. Sarah shook her head frantically, lowering her hand to the table. "What? That's not right...it's supposed to say Acontius..." Her body tensed, and a wave of anxiety and worry crushed into her. "Becky, what's going on? What is this?" She asked, glancing over to her friend with worried eyes.

A second later, Sarah's eyes shot out in horror and she fell back in her seat, flailing off of the bench.

"What the fuck!" Sarah screamed, gaping frantically at the thing that was once Becky.

* * *

When Sarah's eyes locked onto her friend, she hardly expected the site that met her in return. There was a woman, it was Becky, but it wasn't. Her face...it was worn and wrinkled and had turned a rustic brown. Her features were exaggerated and drooped. Her body was hunched and she had a wretched sneer etched across her face. This thing, it wasn't Becky, it wasn't even human. If Sarah didn't know any better she would have said it was a...

"My Sarah, what's wrong?" Asked Becky. No, it sounded like Becky, but it wasn't -it wasn't Becky. Sarah jumped to her feet in a stance of fight or flight.

"What are you? What the fuck is going on?" Sarah roared, pointing a terrified and enraged finger at the creature before her. The woman laughed.

"Hehe...Come come Sarah, you know me." She said. Sarah gave an involuntary shudder. Her voice...it was different -was laced with something dark...that voice...she'd heard it before.

"What are you?" Sarah demanded again, fisting her nails into the hard flesh of the apple. The creature gave a malicious laugh and started to rise from the table.

In a fit of panic, Sarah rose her arm in preparation to throw the apple at her possible assailant. Instead, she trembled and gaped as she realized she was no longer digging her fingers into an apple but a festered and rotting peach. Her nostrils flared as she registered the rotting fruit dripping down her hand, and in a fit of rage, wound her arm back and whipped it with all her might.

"Stay away from me!" She screamed, turning on a dime and darting into the crowd.

Sarah's senses were in immediate overload. She pushed and flailed her way through the crowd, darting her eyes frantically for any trace of harm or hope. Then, she felt herself slow, hindered by the crowded mass of people. She wriggled and clawed. Her pounding heart and rush of adrenaline were starting to inhibit her ability to process thought and action. She drew her arms into herself as she realized the reason she was struggling to move was because she was being groped and pulled by an onslaught of spectral hands. She clenched her eyes and fought, only opening them once she felt the space start to enclose around her.

Sarah's fear stricken face drained of color as she peered up to her aggressors. There were lines on their faces, tracing around the outer contours. She froze momentarily in shocked horror as one man in particular reached up and splayed a palm across his face. With seemingly no effort at all, the man withdrew his hand, and along with it came his face -a mask. The creature that stared back was the same as Becky -wretched mangled features, and bloodcurdling sneer. It smiled, revealing broken and jagged teeth. Sarah screamed, and instantly went for the kill as she fought her way out of the crowd. Sickening laughter spurred around her, as more and more hands rose to pull apart their mortal masks. Sarah's face flushed with a surge of a million different emotions. _WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?_

Before she could act, a hand clamped around her wrist and pulled her into a more than uncomfortable embrace. In the next second, she found herself twirling, being thrashed and thrown from one dancer to the next. She practically flew to the beat of the music, which was only matched by the pounding of her heart. Somehow, through all the spinning panic, a thought rang through. _This seems so...familiar. Like the...like the -ballroom?_ The connection made her want to vomit. _No._

The world was spinning, faces, lights, laughter. No matter her panic, she couldn't stop it, holding no control over the inertia put upon her by the force of the dance. On and on this went. What did they want?

As if taking pity on Sarah's torment, the dance came to a screeching halt. The afflicted beings ceased their advances and stood like eerie grinning statues. Sarah's eyes darted round and round until falling back into their proper place. She pulled away and darted through the crowd, not waiting for or wanting and explanation. The creatures merely stood and stared, allowing Sarah an easy escape. She stumbled out of the crowd and stole one last look. They were watching her. All of them, not just the people from the dance floor. So may faces...

The only sound in Sarah's ears was the pounding her heart and the panting of her breath. She staggered in her dress, pulling it up to her knees and running into the forest. She dashed past trees and leaped over roots and vines. She could still hear them, everywhere. She tried her best to stare straight ahead, but she could see racing shadows and dancing silhouettes from the corner of her eyes. They were following her.

It was then that Sarah remembered something, she ran track. Quickly, she pulled her dress up and managed to rip through the thin fabric, effectively cutting it short at mid-thigh. She then dipped her head and squared her shoulders, plowing the ball of her foot hard into the ground in a perfect take off. She jolted forward, picking up the pace exponentially. She scrapped through branches and twigs, but didn't stop. She could see the tree-line. She was almost there. She didn't know what would happen once she got there, but right now, her only goal was escaping the shrouding forest.

Laughter rang louder and louder in Sarah's ears the closer she approached the end of the forest. She could see the field, the river, the bridge. She would just keep running, all the way home. Tragically, it was this thought and observation that distracted her from the knotted root that had sprung free from the Earth, and as she bounded, her foot caught underneath it.

Sarah tripped, and went flying through the air. She closed her eyes and braced for impact, curling her limbs into a tuck and roll. Time seemed to stop as she flew through the air, and she could only wait anxiously behind closed eyelids.

* * *

Sarah hit the ground with a thud, skidding and rolling into the soft grass. Wasting no time, she dug her hands into the ground and reared her legs for another take off, but only succeeded in falling flat on her face. There was a sharp jab in her knee, most likely due from her rough landing. She quickly turned around and backpedaled on her hands and knees, staring at the dark forest with residual panic.

And then she stopped, frozen in place as the world came into view. She was in the field, in the park. But it was different. The grass was warm and dry, the sun shone high over head and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Her head thrashed from side to side loosing her sanity from all the sheer insanity of what was happening. Where were the Goblins? Monsters? People? Things? She glared into the forest, it was still partially shrouded in shadow. She gave a small sigh. They were gone.

Allowing her a second or two for her heart to settle, Sarah leaned back on her elbows, still healthily aware that something very very strange was going on. She leaned forward, examining the cause of the sharp pain in her leg. Her legs and hands were smeared with dirt and grass. She wiped it away to reveal the already purple bruise claiming her knee. She winced and panted as she tried to extend it.

"Excuse me, are you alright, Miss?" Came yet another unexpected voice. Sarah jumped and scrambled back before glaring up at the man who had just spoken to her. Her eyes were wide and frantic, and her heart beat hard against her chest. He stood tall over her, the light from the sun darkening out his face. She didn't respond.

The mysterious stranger tilted his head and frowned at her silence. He then crouched down on the balls of his feet, and rested his forearms on his knees. Sarah shuffled a little more.

"Miss, are you hurt? Did something happen to you?" He asked, sounding genuine and sincere. Sarah's heart started to quell, but her eyes continued to beam. He was closer to her now. She could see his eyes. Bright blue.

"I-I-I-uhh." Sarah stumbled over her own tongue, not yet recovering the basic motor skills required to speak. The man's frown deepened.

"What happened?" He asked. His voice was both appeasing and demanding. The mysterious stranger's question struck Sarah hard, sending replay after replay of everything that had just happened through her mind. It'd all been so fast...yet it felt like an eternity. Her chest started to heave, and she couldn't control her breathing. She was having a panic attack.

"I-I- I don't know." She said with a gasp. Seeing the girl's distress, the man quickly leaned forward and drew her up into his arms. He wrapped an arm around her back and gently stroked her hair.

"Hey, hey. It's ok, you're safe now." The man cooed. Sarah's eyes darted frantically, questioning why she felt suddenly at ease in this stranger's arms. She tightened her hands around the neck of his jacket and nuzzled into his hair. It was long...and smelled of the sun.

"I don't understand...what's going on?" She asked, as if this random stranger might know. There was a pause. While innocent enough, it sent a string if suspicion through Sarah's mind and she tensed her grip around him.

"It's alright. It's all over now." The man said after a moment, patting her back. "Do you need to go somewhere? A hospital? Home?" He continued. Sarah shook her head in the nook of his neck.

"No, thank you. I can manage." She said, trying to pull away from his grasp. The man's arms tightened and there was a pause. The silence between them held volumes.

"Are you sure?" He asked, quirking an octave on the last word. Something in Sarah snapped, and she froze. There was a distinct rumble and hiss to his voice. No, this wasn't right. Without response, Sarah pushed hard against the man's chest, flailing to break his hold on her but with no avail. He was like a statue.

"Please, let me go. I'm fine." She pleaded through clenched teeth. She could sense his smile as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"You look to be in distress, please, allow me to help you." He replied, ceasing his gentle petting to wind a hand at the nape of her neck.

"I don't need help! Let me go!" Sarah screamed, squirming uselessly in the man's vice-like grasp.

"You're clearly upset. I think I know a way to help you relax." He said, using the hand fisted in her hair to hold her straight as he pushed her into the ground. Sarah exploded.

"No! Stop! Get the fuck off of me!" Sarah screamed bloody murder, kicking and flailing all she was worth. The man loomed over her, his long blonde hair brushing across her face and chest.

He took hold her hands, and pinned them on either side of her head, sneering down at her catatonic form. He then rose her arms and took hold of her wrists above her head with one hand, freeing the other to wrap around the corner of her jaw. His fingers tightened and he pushed her face upwards, exposing her throat as his lips latched onto it, hard. Sarah screamed, and her lower lip quivered. _ No. This isn't happening. This is a dream. It isn't real._

"Oh Sarah, this is as real as it needs to be." The man purred, responding to her unspoken thoughts as he quite literally bit his way down her collar bone. _ What? What the fuck? _ She screamed inside.

"How do you know my name? Who are you!" She screamed, trying and failing to move her wounded neck out of his reach. The man stopped, rearing over her slightly and laughing as he ran his hand from her neck down and over her breast.

"Come come, Sarah, you know me." The man said with malicious amusement.

Sarah froze in her struggling, slowly turning her head to meet the heated gaze of her attacker. His words struck her, hard. Why didn't she realize this sooner? She beamed for what felt like an eon, slowly refining all her scattered thoughts. He had long, feathered blonde hair and stone etched features. His lips were curled in a predatory sneer, revealing sharp and angled teeth. But, the thing that truly caught Sarah's gaze were his eyes. So blue, so fierce. One pupil fully dilated, the empty blackness boring into her. Yes, she knew those eyes. It was him. Of course it was him. Why didn't she know until just now?

"Jareth-" She breathed, unwilling to believe she'd actually said it. Jareth smiled and lowered his head to hers, claiming her lips in a strong yet surprisingly sensual kiss. He hummed when she didn't fight him off.

"Sarah." He murmured against her dumbstruck lips with a smile.

Sarah fell limp, completely blown away with shock. She didn't fight him, her mind simply couldn't handle it. Everything that had happened, she was in mental overload and needed a minute or two to reboot.

"What-what are you doing here? What's going on?" She asked, non-responsive to the hot trail of bite-like kisses Jareth had started weaving down her neck.

"This is your dream. Perhaps I'm the one who should be asking you." Jareth murmured into the hollow of her neck. Sarah stared straight at the sky, searching the heavens for the ability to react.

"This is my dream. I don't want you to rape me." She said, rather monotone. If this really was a dream, then this wasn't real, and then at least all the crazy shit that had happened now made sense...sort of. Jareth shifted his body into her, groping at her side as his lips neared her bust line.

"Yes, this is your dream. Which means you want me here, doing this..." His voice trailed off as he dipped his tongue under the hem of her dress. "You want this, Sarah." He whispered with seductive arrogance. Sarah shook her head.

"No. No, I don't. This isn't a dream. This is a nightmare." Sarah stammered, pushing against him, knowing it was futile. Jareth smiled into her bosom, bringing his free hand to push her breast up to him as he bit down on the rounded flesh exposed by the straining hem of her dress.

"We're inside your mind, Sarah. And we both know you're lying. You dream of this, dream of me touching you like this." Jareth said, grinding his hips into hers. Sarah gave an involuntary groan.

He was right. She did dream of this -often. Only this time...something was different. It felt...odd and twisted...darker...more real. She felt unsettled and she didn't know why. No, not this time. She didn't want this.

Jareth loosened his grip on her hands at the sound of her reluctant moan. Mmm, this was going so much more smoothly than he'd thought. Sensing the tension leave her wrists, Sarah ripped them free of his grasp and clawed her hands around his neck. Jareth was taken back by her sudden movement, and reflexively went on the offensive, clamping his hands around her forearms. Sarah's gaze burned into him, and she used the grip he had on her arms to pull him down.

Jareth's eyes scanned Sarah's, trying to decipher the enraged look in her eye and felt a heat rise when he realized it was something else entirely. Cautiously, he released Sarah's arms and allowed them to finish clawing into his hair. Spurred on by Sarah's surprising fervor, Jareth wound his hands under her shoulders, pulling her up her him as he ravaged her mouth with his own. He growled into Sarah's lips as she opened up for him and viciously bit down on his. He held her to him with enough force to make her gasp, but allowed her no reprieve as he savagely twirled his tongue with hers, engulfing all her muffled moans.

Sarah's hands dug into the mass of Jareth's unruly hair, pressing his face hard to hers and scraping her teeth against his. She drew a leg up the length of Jareth's and hooked it over his hip as he ground himself against her.

The immediate escalation of their situation was no less than a complete surprise to Jareth. He didn't know what he was expecting to happen once he reached this part of Sarah's dream, but things couldn't have turned out better. _She's so willing, so hungry. Gods, this is going to be so easy._ He reveled in a secret victory dance.

Releasing her hold on Jareth's hair, Sarah brought her hands to his chest, fiercely gripping at the lapels of his jacket. At first, Jareth started to shrug, thinking she intended to remove it from him. He was surprised when she fisted her hands and pushed, using enough force to roll him over.

Jareth hit the ground with a thud, sending his scorching gaze blazing over the raven haired girl now straddling his pelvis, her injured leg long forgotten. So many thoughts ran through his head -awe, excitement, victory, suspicion, hunger. Never did he expect her to yield to him so easily, even if it was just a dream -a dream she had often- his inner voice chimed. _Yes, this is going to be easy._ He felt himself giving in to his arrogance, and cared little as he engorged in the victorious pleasure of Sarah's burning passion.

Moving past his thoughts, Jareth ran his hands up the length of Sarah's thighs, kneading his thumbs at the torn line of material that rose just shy of certain things; certain things that were now radiating heat onto his inching-ever-closer thumbs. Sarah leaned down and over him, placing her hands upon his chest once more while Jareth's hands roamed their way over her protruding ass. He took a sharp breath once she nipped at his lower lip. Where they in her dream or his?

Sarah smiled something sinister at the beguiled Goblin King and tightened her hold on his jacket. She ran her nose along his and fluttered her eyelashes before whispering into his lips.

"So, this is my dream is it?" She asked, there was a haunting snicker behind her voice. Jareth grinned and pushed himself into her in response.

"Yes." He purred. She bit down on his lip once more to stifle her giggle.

"Good." She said, and pulled.

Jareth's eyes shot out as Sarah suddenly pulled him up and over her. They rolled once, twice, and then something strange happened. His breath caught in his throat as he felt a gust of air and a surging force pulling him and Sarah down. He looked past her and saw they were no longer nestled in a quiet meadow, but had rolled off the edge of a cliff. He felt a lurch in his stomach that often accompanies an unexpected fall and glared dangerously at Sarah.

"I hate falling dreams, they always wake me with a jolt." Sarah snickered, pushing herself away from Jareth and into the open air.

* * *

Jareth woke with a surge of all kinds of irritation and riled excitement. He sat up slightly and peered around the room , giving a small laugh before falling back into the mattress.

"Well that was certainly...unexpected." He said with uncertain awe. He had intended to manipulate her dream against her, yet she was strong enough to manipulate her dream against him. He hadn't counted on that. He steepled his fingers in front of his face and smiled in the darkness.

_Such fire! Actually taunting me!_ Never did he expect anything like that from her. All those years of waiting, and it was finally paying off. _ Yes, the Labyrinth was right, Its will has fueled hers. Gods, and in the most delicious way!_ He was so giddy, even in his defeat. His reconnaissance mission couldn't have gone better. Yes, he'd underestimated her, something he had been warned of and now knew never to do again, but all the knowledge he'd gained -from just one dream- he knew which weapons to wield against her.

And at that thought, he remembered that he was now awake, expelled by his own weapon that she had turned against him, and bringing back the mental note he'd made earlier to keep better focus during these very situations. But Gods, did he love a good challenge. Truth be told, he would have been a little disappointed if he had won over her so easily. Yes, he was glad for her spirit, she would play his game well. He'd let her flaunt her freedom for now, knowing that the only freedom she would have is the freedom he granted her once this game was finally over. He smiled once more, now excited more than ever for round two.

"Perhaps she'll make a worthy adversary after all..." He purred into the night.


	3. Aggressive negotiations

**A/N: I promise the next update will most definitely be for Of Dreams And Broken Things. So don't think I'm cutting that story short for this one. It's just nice to focus on something different, makes writing for longer stories easier. So thanks for sticking in there. As for this story, I hope you like it =)**

Chapter 3, Aggressive Negotiations

* * *

_Hands..fingers..lips..in all the right places. Gahhhd his mouth! I wonder if it really is that hot...So close...ughhh his groin. Fuck. His groin._

There was a loud clatter as the dead weight of Sarah's fork went crashing onto the plate below, making Sarah jump in her seat.

"Sarah? Are you alright?" Asked a startled voice.

Sarah blinked herself away from the image of Jareth's ravenous stare and back to reality.

"Uhh...yea. Yes. Yes, I'm fine Karen." Sarah spat, shaking her head and grinning like a fool. Karen narrowed her eyes and regarded Sarah with concern and confusion.

"Are you sure? You seem quite flustered this morning." Karen asked, leaning over the table slightly, exuding the permanent twinge of worry that came with being a mother. Sarah's eyes widened and a hot blush flushed her cheeks. She grinned again, and looked anywhere but at her step mother.

"Yea, yea. I'm fine. Just had a rough night is all." She said, shrugging her shoulders and looking up with a less then guilty smile. Karen's expression softened, and she straightened herself up to continue clearing the table of emptied bowls and plates.

"Well I imagine you didn't get much sleep last night. I know I didn't on the eve of my eighteenth birthday. I was so excited." Karen smiled down and cast her gaze off as if remembering some ridiculous memory. Sarah watched on attentively, regaining her motor function and finishing the last of her eggs. _Oh, if you only knew Karen. _ Sarah secretly mocked.

* * *

Karen was right, Sarah was too excited to sleep last night, but it wasn't in anticipation for her birthday. Her more than curious dream had left her with an overwhelming rush of every kind of giddy feeling out there. She'd woken with a jolt and an imagined thud, the way most do when they feel the sensation of falling. At first, she thought her anxiety was just the remnants of adrenaline her body used to wake herself; but, after a while, she found herself staring at the ceiling and grinning like a Cheshire cat, and realized something else was up. Why was she so riled and excited? Her dream was...odd to say the least, and at certain points she would have even considered it to be a nightmare. Her best friend turned into a Goblin, for Heaven's sake, she should be disturbed not excited! So, why was she so giddy? An image of Jareth came to mind and her grin tore itself new seams on Sarah's face. _ Ha! I sure showed his arrogant ass! _ She cheered, giving herself a mental pat on the back for her -in her mind- very clever means of escape. _Bet he never saw that coming! _ She closed her eyes and gave a sigh of victory.

After a moment of mental silence, she shook her head. Why did she feel like she'd won some epic battle? _It was a dream Sarah. He wasn't really there. It wasn't really him. Geez, get a grip._ Sarah dawned the obvious upon herself. _But it felt different this time.._. Usually, Dream Jareth was all magic and linguistics, swooping back into her life for one night of glorious passion after another. She knew it was wrong, not just because of their history together but because of the fact that she was only fifteen when it had happened. She was just a kid and he was what? Hundreds, thousands, millions of years old? Talk about pedophilia at its finest. But as she grew older, she started to interpret her run in a different sense, and realized just what it was she had turned down. And thus, her inner romantic was born. She was pretty sure she'd never see him again, and was more than sure that any circumstance that did cause her to see him again would mean more trouble than folly. But, there was no harm in a little late night fantasizing was there? Just her and her dreams, playing over every delicious detail of what _could_ happen should they meet again. _Hmmm...Dream Jareth. _ Sarah licked her lips in the dark, and then frowned. _ But, this Dream Jareth wasn't nice or charming or romantic...he was still domineering and bluntly sexual of course, but...he was violent and savage...more real._ She felt a grave sense of unsettlement at the tail end of her thought._Yes...there was definitely something way different this time...Aside from the obvious shift in his tactical approach._ She thought rather suspiciously, comparing her usual mental materialization with this newest one. _It was...darker... _She darted her eyes with uncertainty behind closed lids at the thought. She'd never had a dream like that before. _Well no shit it was darker! He was going to rape you! _ Said the self-righteous voice in the back of her head. _ He was right though...It was my dream...I wanted him there. _ She retorted to her conscience. _ God knows it wouldn't have been rape. _She thought back to all of her other pretend encounters with Dream Jareth. She bit her lip in a guilty way. _Then why did you end it? _ Her conscience rang, dousing the small fire sparking from her libido. _ Because it was...not right. Something wasn't right... _ She started to give in to her voice of reason, before its raunchy counterpart came stomping through the door. _Right or not, you have to admit...that was pretty hot...Gahh yes, I especially liked the look on his face when I hauled us over a cliff, very sexy. _ This time, her two inner voice spoke as one.

* * *

"Sarah, are you feeling alright?" Came Karen's overly concerned voice, dragging Sarah from her revelries. The world pressed play to find Sarah staring blankly at the table cloth, gnawing on her lower lip as if she'd never seen a piece of toast before.

"Yea." Sarah spat, her voice sounding just a little too uneven. Karen paused to stare more intently at her. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just spacy today, worrying about the play n' all." Sarah spoke with a shrug and a roll of the hand, effectively curing sweet Karen of her suspicions.

"Sarah, you'll be terrific. You always are." Karen said, turning her attentions as a loud thump began to bellow from beyond the doorway. "You better brace yourself, our little Gremlin is up." Karen said, placing a stack of dishes into the sink. Sarah scoffed. _More like Goblin..._ She corrected.

Not a moment later did a golden haired tornado come barreling into the kitchen.

"Sarah!" Screamed a bouncing bundle of smiles and batman pajamas, launching himself across the room and into Sarah's arms.

"Well good morning to you too, Toby. Geez, someone sure seems excited." Sarah laughed, squeezing Toby tight against her chest and placing a fat kiss on his chubby cheeks.

"It your birthhffday, Sarah!" He yelled with even more excitement. Sarah giggled and rubbed her nose into his hair before setting him back on his feet.

"I know, so why are you so excited?" Sarah asked playfully. Toby thrashed him arms in disbelief.

"'Cause you a grown up now! And you get presents an' a party!" He yelped accusingly, as if it was offending that she didn't know. Sarah continued to laugh.

"Yea? So what's in it for you then?" She asked again. Toby shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"I get to have some of you cake and ice cream, duh Sarah." He ridiculed. Sarah put up her hands in defeat.

"Of course, how could I forget?" She kidded.

"Toby, please sit down and eat your breakfast. We have to take Sarah to school today." Chimed Karen, placing a bowl of cereal in front of where Toby was supposed to be sitting. Sarah's smile waned, she'd forgotten about that. _ Shit... _ She groaned. Earlier that week, the transmission in Sarah's '83 Cutlass had quite literally bottomed out, leaving Sarah stranded and dependent until further notice. Urgh, she didn't want to think about it. She scowled at the smear of ketchup on her plate.

"I'm going to go finish getting ready." Sarah murmured, standing to place her plate in the sink. Karen was busy cleaning up the milk Toby had already managed to splatter all over the floor.

"Alright, try to be quick, please. You don't want to start off your big day with a lecture on tardiness." Karen was both sincere and sarcastic. Sarah gave her a knowing smile and a quirked brow. "Oh! And make sure you see your father before he leaves for work. I think he's filing some papers in the study." She tacked on half distracted.

* * *

Sarah ventured out of the kitchen, through the living room, and down the hallway leading to her father's study. The door was already open, and she poked her head around the corner. She found Mr Robert Williams busy shucking wayward papers in to a briefcase while struggling to push an arm through the sleeve of his jacket.

"Sarah!" He looked up and exclaimed, some of the flustered-ness leaving his eyes. Sarah smiled and stepped into the room.

"Running late today?" She observed, trying to be polite and not laugh at her father, luckily, he laughed for her.

"Heh, yea. I got an email from the judge requesting some files this morning. I think I need to organize my filing cabinets." He said with a weak laugh, he was obviously a little stressed.

"Well, I won't keep you. I just wanted to pop in before you left." She said, stepping further into the room, watching as her father slid the now packed briefcase into a leather satchel. Robert finished pulling on his jacket and slung the strap of his bag over his shoulder, shrugging once he was all situated.

"Happy birthday, Sarah." He finally said, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace. Sarah tried to reciprocate, but he was squeezing just a little too tight.

" *Cough* Ok, thanks Dad." Sarah choked, patting her dad on the back. Robert released his daughter and held her at arms length.

"Eighteen already. Geez, I'm getting old. You'll be running off and getting married before you know it." He said with a faint smile, making Sarah blush.

"Uhh, I don't think so, Dad." Sarah said uncomfortably. Robert seemed satisfied with her answer and released her. Sarah took an awkward step back. Dad and boys -not something she really put together in conversation very often.

"I have to go to work now, but I want to give you something." He said, smiling anxiously at her. Sarah gave him a troubling eye. Why did he look nervous? Before she could respond, Sarah's father reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a long rectangular box. Sarah's brow furrowed as she made a quick examination of it. It was black, and velvety, the corners were slightly worn. It was old. She looked up to her father expectantly. "This was your mother's. I gave it to her on her eighteenth birthday, back when we were just a couple of kids. She no longer wants it obviously, so I thought I would give it to you." He said hesitantly. Sarah's eyes widened and she felt a flare of anxiety as she waited for her father to open the box. "I'm not sure if it's in with the current trends but...I thought you might like it." He said with a shrug, and handed the unopened box out to Sarah. Sarah took the box, running her thumbs over the velvety material as she allowed herself a few more precious seconds of anticipation.

The black velvet casing opened to reveal a soft white satin cushion. On it lay a silver chain. It was thin and delicate. Sarah made note to be careful with it. Her eyes traveled from the metal clasp at one end to an intricately welded pendant on the other. It was silver, and about the size of a quarter. In the center, there was a tiny orange-yellow gem lain within a thin winding of silver colored metal. It curved in a circular motion, leaving tiny flares at exact intervals. It looked like a tiny abstract sun, or maybe a flower. Either way, it was beautiful, it was her mother's and she loved it.

"It's Citrine, your mother's birthstone." Robert chimed in. Sarah looked up with a beaming smile.

"Daddy, I love it!" She cried, throwing her arms around her anxious and relieved father. It had always been a little awkward discussing Sarah's mother, but he knew this would mean a lot to her.

"Good -I'm glad." Robert said with an _OOff_. She definitely wasn't his little girl anymore, and had the strength to prove it.

Sarah's burst of happiness was short lived however, as melancholy thoughts of her estranged mother came creeping into her brain. There was an awkward tension, and Sarah paused before removing herself from her father's embrace and stood awkwardly teetering from toe to toe.

"Thank you -Dad. It's lovely." Sarah said. Robert gave a sympathetic stare as he registered Sarah's descending happiness. "I already talked to Mom...she's doing a show in New York so..." She drifted off.

* * *

Sarah only saw her starving actress of a mother maybe twice a year -not including major holidays (usually). Her mother had left her and her father just as she was on the cusp of puberty, not really a good time to leave a confused and emotionally struggling girl with nothing but her brokenhearted-and-too-awkward-to-deal-with-girl-issues father. It put a strain on her and her father's relationship to say the least, and when he married Karen...everything just went downhill from there. For a while, she blamed Karen and her father for her mother's absence. She wanted to be just like her mother and run away and star next to her on stage. At one point, Sarah had realized what it really came down to was the fact that her mother didn't want a family, she wanted a carrier. That wasn't her father's of Karen's fault. But, no matter what Sarah never gave up on her mother even if she only hurt herself in the end. Of course, things were different now, and truth be told there was only one person who could be held responsible -Jareth. She learned just how precious family was, and realized how much of her suffering was her own fault. Life with her family -life in general- had gotten exceptionally better since. Karen was more like a sisterly aunt than the irritating-woman-trying-to-replace-her-mother-figure, and she adored Toby like nothing else. Coming so close to losing him showed her how much she really loved him, and would never take it for granted again. Her father and her were better off as well, though they still had awkward moments like this. She tried to reconnect with her mother, but always found herself worrying she'd seem to whinny. The fact that she felt that way when she only saw her mother maybe 5 out of 365 days a year made her angry, but she tried nonetheless.

* * *

"I'm sorry honey." Robert said, shaking Sarah from her daze. Sarah frowned and shrugged.

"It's fine. She has better things to do than celebrate her daughter's eighteenth birthday. I get it...I'm going to finish getting ready for school." Sarah fought hard to keep the depression away, absentmindedly stroking the vine-like metalwork of the pendant. Robert frowned but didn't push the matter.

"I'll see you tonight for cake and candles?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood. Sarah gave a pouting smile.

"Yea, I'll see you then." She said and disappeared out of the doorway.

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!"

Sarah jumped as she shut her bedroom door behind her and whirled around to see three very strange and familiar faces.

"SHHHHSHSHSHSHSHSHH!" Sarah shh'd so loud it made the gesture meaningless, holding a finger to her lips and hunching her shoulders as she bounded away from the door.

"Oh, My Lady! Have-est we given away our location?" Sir Didymus exclaimed. Sarah waved her hands in a signal to quiet down.

"Would you quiet down." Hoggle grumbled, nudging Didymus in the arm, who snarled in return. Ludo sighed.

"Sahhrrwweee, Sarrwwaaah." Ludo bellowed, shifting in the small space Sarah's room kept him confined in. Sarah smiled from ear to ear and threw herself into the mass of fur and fluff that was Ludo. She then turned and ducked down to hug Didymus, lifting him up in the air like he was nothing. And finally, she bent down to give Hoggle the warmest hug of all. He gave a nervous grumble in the back of his throat.

"Thank you so much!" Sarah beamed. "I didn't know you guys were coming." She continued. Sir Didymus cocked his head to one side.

"But of course we came! The annual of one's birth is a reminder of life and should be cherished and preserved for all of time." The little fox-dog-knight said most valiantly. Sarah pursed her lips at him. His medieval lingo got her every time.

"Whatcha got there, Sarah?" Hoggle asked, spying the black box in Sarah's hand. Leave it to Hoggle to show upmost curiosity in jewelry. Sarah's head darted down, forgetting she was even holding it.

"Oh, um, it's a birthday present. My Dad gave it to me." Sarah explained, opening the box to reveal it's sparkling contents. Hoggle's eyes widened and he gulped. Didymus made an "awe" sound.

"Prrretttyyy." Ludo rumbled. Sarah smiled and looked up to him.

"Thank you, I thought so too. It was my Mother's." She said, glancing back down at the delicate metalwork.

"You should put it on." Hoggle suggested, trying to remain calm in the presence of such fine accessory. He resorted to kneading through his bag of jewels. Sarah thought a moment.

"Yea...you're right. I should put it on." Sarah said, taking the tiny clip between her fingers and clasping it behind her head. The chain was long, so the pendant fell below the neckline of her shirt and nestled between her breasts. She didn't mind, less of a chance people would tell her how gaudy it was.

"Splendid." Didymus muttered in appreciation. Sarah huffed.

"Sarah! Come on! You're going to be late!" Sarah turned her head to focus on the muffled calls of Karen from down the stairs. She gave a sigh of disappointment, and turned back to her friends with an exaggerated pout.

"Looks like I have to go." She said. Ludo frowned and gave a low unhappy rumble.

"Will we meet again?" Sir Didymus asked, always the dramatic. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Of course. I'll be busy tonight, but I'll see you again soon." She said, fighting to put her hands on her hips. Didymus seemed to perk up a bit.

"Before we leave, we's got you a lil' something." Hoggle quirked. Sarah rose a surprised brow and then smiled when he pulled a small wooden box from his belt of gadgets. "Here." He said, handing Sarah the aged contraption.

Sarah took the box with tender care and examined the faded carvings along the top.

"What is it?" She asked while flipping up the lid.

Inside the box, there was an assortment of small wild flowers. They were white, and had long stamens that moved and curled like the feelers of an insect. They had a strange aura about them, like she could sense they were of magic.

"They're flowers from the Underground. They'll never wilt or die. We thought you could wear them in your hair for your school play maybe." Hoggle said, looking unsure, while Ludo and Didymus stood proud. Sarah grinned and tilted her head to one side, watching the way the stamens retracted when she tried to poke at them.

"That's so sweet. Thank you. They're perfect." Sarah said, giving Hoggle a reassuring smile.

"Sarah!" Karen called again. Sarah huffed.

"I'll be right down!" She called back. "Guys, I gotta go." She turned back to her friends with a slight frown.

"Of course, My Lady. We shall keep no more of your time." Sir Didymus said with a bow.

"Gooobyyeee, Sarrwwaaaah." Ludo rumbled, ending with a low whine as Sarah gave him a farewell hug. She bent down to Didymus next.

"Bye guys, and thank you. I love it." She said, releasing her knight and standing to watch as first Ludo then Didymus faded back into the Underground. She turned to Hoggle and stared. "Could you stay behind for a minute?" She asked, a stone seriousness schooling her features. Hoggle's brow drew but he nodded in compliancy.

Sarah sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hoggle..." She paused. "I know I've never asked this before but..." She paused again, glancing nervously up to Hoggle. "Do you know anything about Jareth?" She practically spat. Hoggle's brow shot up. He wasn't expecting that.

"Why are you asking about that rat?" Hoggle replied. Sarah's shoulders slumped, and she looked around anxiously.

"I don't know...I was just thinking...I see you guys all the time. We talk and hang out and you tell me about your lives in the Underground and never once have you mentioned him. Do you know anything? What he's been up to, how he's been?" She asked, wincing at him while she spoke. Hoggle's head twitched in confusion. Why was she asking about him? Now after all this time?

"We don't see His Majesty." Hoggle stated, frowning when he saw Sarah's brow start to curve down. "But I hears things...sometimes. He's the same, as far as I can tell. Sarah, why do you want to know?" Hoggle asked, wary and confused. Sarah sighed and looked away. _Because I had a really weird and sexy dream last night and I want to know if he had anything to do with it. _ Her mind grumbled.

"It's nothing...I was just wondering if you knew anything. Forget I said anything." Sarah hid her disappointment by shaking her head and giving him a false smile._ Of course Hoggle wouldn't know anything...Jareth probably wanted nothing to do with him after what happened...I'm just thankful he didn't hurt them or...worse. _ Sarah shuddered at the thought of her friends getting hurt for helping her, even if it was technically treason. After she'd first beaten the Labyrinth, she was worried Jareth may incur his wrath on her or her friends. She'd asked them about it, but they said they didn't know anything and hadn't seen him since the castle siege...and that was the last any of them had spoken of Jareth. While Didymus, Hoggle, and Ludo thought all was well, Sarah was worried. She thought it was odd Jareth would just up and ignore them...at the very least she'd expected to hear about a heavy scolding and threats of bogging.

Hoggle stared at Sarah skeptically, watching as she reached for her backpack.

"Thanks for staying, Hoggle. But Karen will probably kill me if I'm not downstairs in the next ten seconds. I'll see you soon ok?" She asked, shrugging one strap over her shoulder with haste.

"No problem. Goodbye, Sarah. And happy birthday." Hoggle said, almost regretfully. Sarah gave him a genuine smile and watched as he faded between worlds.

"Sarah! I'm leaving without you!" Karen yelled, harsher this time. Sarah huffed.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" She exclaimed, making sure to close her bedroom door behind her as she bounded down the stairs.

* * *

Sarah's day started off as good as any other. She'd made it to homeroom just as the bell rang, and no one seemed to notice her flash through the halls at mock speed, so she assumed she was in the clear. Homeroom turned to physics, then AP english, then french 5. The day seemed normal, with the addition of a million happy birthdays. It wasn't even lunch yet. Then...something weird started to happen.

* * *

_TapTapTapTapTapTapTapTapTap._

Sarah beat the end of her pencil viciously against her desk, her eyes glued to the clock. It'd only been about twenty minutes, but it felt like an hour of trying to understand the supremely well-trained tongue of Monsieur Crone, who, surprisingly enough, didn't have a french bone in his body. She had a free period next. Ugh, she hated french.

"Miss Williams? Do you have somewhere to be?" Came a too loud voice too close to her ear. Sarah jumped, sending her pencil flying across the room. She looked to the side and saw Monsieur Mark Crone bent down eye level with her, his green eyes glaring. Her mouth dropped open a tad. Why was he so close?

"Uhh, no -Monsieur. Uhhhh, Je suis desole'." She stammered, trying not to fidget under his scrutiny. He smiled and straightened himself, leisurely strolling to the front of the room without a word. Sarah's eyes followed him warily. _That was weird... _she thought, examining his tall broad form and messy brown hair. _Hmm.._.she'd always had a bit of a crush on him, who didn't? But the inclination only went skin deep, he usually only paid attention to girls who fancied a miniskirt.

She watched as he bent down and reached for something -her pencil? _Wow, that made it far._ She thought. He then strolled back down the isle of desks towards her, staring intently like a stalking predator. _Ummm..._ Sarah thought, looking around the room. Strangely, no one else seemed to be paying attention. Her mouth went slack by the time he stood in front of her. He bent down and placed the pencil on Sarah's desk with a firm snap. Her eyes followed his hand as it left her desk and stroked a piece of hair away from her face. _ Whoaaaaaaaaaaa. That is not appropriate! What the hell? _ Sarah's brain went into automatic overload.

"Do try to keep better track of this. Wouldn't want you gouging anyone's eye out now would we?" He asked with a sardonic grin. Sarah gaped. _What the-Who the fuck is this?_

The hair on the back of Sarah's neck stood on edge the rest of the period. Mr Crone would preach and recite from his textbook, casually strolling up and down each isle. She'd freeze when ever he walked by her, and with good reason as each and every time she would feel her teacher's finger graze over her shoulder, pulling a tendril of hair with it as he walked on without so much as a second glance. Her eyes would pop out of her head and she would blatantly stare at her classmates, who didn't seem to have a clue as to what was going on. Needless to say, Sarah was out the door the second the bell rang. _Holy fucking hell. What was that all about?_

With fourth period free, Sarah chose to go over research and tactics for the Debate Team. Naturally, she went to the library. The given topic was the restrictions of tax-exempt peoples -such as descended Native Americans and certain religious groups such as the Amish and Mennonites. She gathered a small stack of books and started combing through one after another, not really focusing. She was still weirded out with french class. That was so inappropriate, never had he acted that way towards her -maybe with other girls, but not her. After a while, she found herself leaning over a bookcase, absentmindedly flipping pages that she vaguely remembered saying something about tax and government regulations. She was enjoying the quiet normalcy when a strange sensation quirked her interest. There it was -that feeling.

Sarah felt...odd. Like someone was watching her. She looked up and immediately saw a boy -Chris Jenkins?- staring straight at her. She knew him, they had a couple of classes together. Why was he staring at her like that? She looked down and realized her angle gave a very in depth view of her cleavage. She glared at stood, turning on a dime and crashing full frontal against yet another male. She tripped and fell into him. The man took a step back and tried to catch her, rather clumsily. Her face turned beat red when she realized his attempt to secure her arm had resulted in a heavy grope of her breast.

"Oh My God. I am so sorry." She shook her head furiously, refusing to meet his gaze. She clutched her book to her chest and backed away. The man laughed.

"Don't be sorry, you might have fallen and snapped a limb if I hadn't been been here to absorb the impact." Said the man. Sarah's face was the color of lava, recognizing the voice as Ben Maluki, a senior on the football team. _Fuck me._ What was up with her and guys today? This never happened -ever. Mustering what was left of her backbone, she rose her head to give him a bashful smile.

"True, thanks then." She said, nervously brushing her hair behind her ear. Ben smiled and leaned into her slightly.

"Any time, Sarah." He purred, and then stepped away. _ What the hell? _ She gaped. His eyes...that stare. Why was everyone looking at her like she was a fucking turkey dinner today?

Next came lunch, which was eaten during the weekly student council meeting. She sat at the end of a long table in one of the teacher conference rooms. She glued herself to her chair and didn't move once. Thankfully nothing awkward happened. She started to relax, discussing planning and funding for the graduation celebration at the end of June. Talking business was a welcome distraction.

After lunch came gourmet cooking 3, where Tommy Ostello just-so-happened to spill a full pitcher of water down her front. Of course she would wear a white shirt today. Luckily, she was able to run straight to P.E. and -rather reluctantly- stuck to the yoga mats where there wasn't a single male form for at least fifty feet. After gym came world economics, and finally ending with college anatomy and physiology- where today's topic just happened to be muscle and systems development of the female form. Was there a reason her professor stared only at her every time he referenced the molecular construction of breast tissue? Sarah put her forehead in the palm of her hand and stared at the floor.

And like the euphoria of stepping into the sun for the first time after a twenty year sentence, the last bell finally rang and Sarah wasted no time in getting the fuck out of there. She breezed through the halls, being bumped and groped along the way. And just as she was about to push down on the final handle that separated her from the haven of a vast outside with plenty of places to run and hide, a voice came beckoning from down the hall. _Fuck me.._

"Sarah! Sarah! Where are you going? We have practice tonight, remember?" Came a bouncy, cheerful voice. Sarah groaned and turned to meet the voice, plastering a big ol' smile on her face along the way.

"Shit. I forgot. Heh, I was about to go home for the night." Sarah said with a shrug, watching as too-hot-for-this-small-town Becky strutted her way towards her in all her curly blonde hair and tanned skin glory.

"Good thing I found you then. Hey, where've you been all day? When ever I see you you're darting in or out of classrooms." Becky asked, jutting her hip out as she leaned against a locker -lingering stares did not go unnoticed. Sarah folded her arms across her chest.

"I've just been busy today, you know -debate, graduation, play, yada yada." Sarah said sarcastically. Becky crinkled her nose.

"You're the one who wants to do all that shit." Becky said. Sarah shrugged, letting her eyes catch on Becky's more than intended midriff and the scissor-cut neckline that went just a tad too low. She loved her friend, but God she dressed like a slut. It was only thanks to known oglers such as one Mr Crone that she didn't get in trouble with the dress code. _ Hmmm, now I know how it feels... _Sarah thought, wondering why Becky openly craved that kind of attention, it just made Sarah uncomfortable. "Come on, first dress rehearsal's tonight. I want to get out of here before midnight." She said, taking Sarah's hand and leading her back into the school.

"Why do you bother doing the plays if you hate them so much?" Sarah asked.

"My mom says I need an extracurricular. I don't do sports, I'm not very smart, and I'm not patient enough to play an instrument." Becky explained, with no shame at all. Sarah smiled and shook her head. "Oh, Happy Birthday by the way. How does it feel knowing you can legally get a tattoo?" Becky said, and Sarah smiled.

"Thanks, but it feels kind of weird. I feel like everyone's paying special attention to me." Sarah said warily. Becky snorted.

"That's because you're level two legal." She said. Sarah's brow furrowed.

"What?" She asked.

"Level one legal is 17-the age of consent. Level two is 18-legal tattoos, chain smoking and gambling. Level three is 21, drinking age. Level four is 25, the age when you can rent a car without a cosigner. -well, that's for where we live anyway." For once, Becky actually sounded educated. Sarah blinked and then laughed. Becky had her moments.

"I don't think that's it." Sarah said, peering up and down the halls for any wayward eyes. "Becky, something weird's been happening today." Sarah said, just as they entered the costuming room.

"Like what?" She asked. Sarah sighed.

"I've been...I don't know, just having really weird encounters with people all day. Like, Mr Crone kept touching my shoulder in french today, and Chris was staring down my shirt, and then Ben felt me up -but I think that was just an accident, and Tommy poured a pitcher of water down the front of my shirt -which I don't think was an accident... Or I'll look around and just see people staring at me." Sarah's words sounded unsure, wary of how Becky would respond to her concerns. Becky turned to face Sarah with a smile too large for her face.

"That's because you're a big girl now." She said, eyeing Sarah up and down. Sarah scoffed.

"And what makes me so much more desirable today than yesterday. It's just a day, it's just a number. Turning eighteen isn't _that_ big of a deal. Something just doesn't feel right." Sarah said, rustling through the rack of assorted costumes.

"Oh, it will..." Becky mumbled. Sarah's head darted up, glaring suspiciously as Becky drew a hanger from the rack. She was sneering. Sarah's eyes narrowed. _What?_

* * *

"Stop staring at me like that."

Sarah blinked, shaking her head as Becky scolded her for about the third time in the past ten minutes.

"I'm sorry...it's just...your costume." Sarah muttered uncomfortably, grimacing as she roamed her eyes over Becky's cotton clad body once more. Becky beamed a Hollywood smile and looked down.

"Yea, yea, I know, not really my style is it?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow at the still half dazed Sarah.

"It's um...simple." Sarah managed to muster a laugh and half a smile.

Alright, this was weird. School was odd enough, and now this? Tonight was their first dress rehearsal, and Sarah was having a hard time focusing. Every time she saw a stage light or someone dressed in a toga, her mind drifted back to her disturbing dream and she found herself searching the shadows for Goblins. She stayed behind set as long as she could, after all, it took a while for everyone to get into costume and set up the full set. But, as the actors took their places, she could hide no longer, and found herself sitting on the edge of a twilight zone as she gawked at Becky who was still trying to situate her headpiece in a way that could make it come off as appealing.

"Simple? You can't see anything but my face! It's way more than simple. I've got a whole crowd of people staring at me and they can't even see my body!" Becky exclaimed, flailing her hands in a sign of defeat. Sarah put a hand over her lips as she stifled a giggle. _ Oh Becky, you poor harlot you._ She then stole a quick glance around the stage, feeling more at ease now than she had all day. She was surprised by her level of contentment, given the parallel being drawn with her strange dream.

As Sarah wondered why she wasn't freaking out more, she soon realized that the only thing that kept her in reality was the blatant difference in costuming. All the side actors wore plain white togas, and the secondary characters wore either colorful sashes or hats to identify themselves. Becky's dress was plain white as well, covering from jaw to toe and back again. She had a weird headdress on that was supposed to be the equivalent of a flashing neon sign saying "I'm a nurse" and she was sure it had absolutely no historical connection to ancient Greece. Sarah's dress was white as well, though not nearly as sensual and lavish as the one from her dream. It was floor length and had long sleeves that tethered and hung down at the shoulders. It came with a golden sash that was supposed to mark her as having money. As she looked around the set from cardboard cut out trees to foam carved statues, she realized just how dire the school's drama department was in need of a heavy donation. Hmmm... at least her dream was prettier...

"Becky, you're the sexiest nurse I've ever seen. I may just have to snag me a sponge bath." Sarah said, placing a hand on Becky's knee and grinning like a fool. Becky stuck her tongue out and reached for a box holding plastic olive branch head wreaths.

"Shut up and put this on." Becky snapped, slamming the musky headband on Sarah's noggin. Sarah squirmed.

"You know, I had a dream about you and the play last night." Sarah said, itching at where the cheap plastic dug into her scalp.

"Oh yea?" Becky asked. Sarah leaned forward and looked over the crowd, nothing was even remotely similar to her dream. _ That's because Jareth's not here... _ She bit the inside of her cheek at that thought.

"Yea, you actually cared." Sarah said, sounding completely indifferent but glancing up at Becky with a cheeky smile.

"Ha! Wow, must've been some dream then!" Becky said, exaggerating the level of humor she actually found in Sarah's words. Sarah gave a shy smile.

"Oh, it was." She snickered.

* * *

~"A Lover's Ploy"

an adaptation of "Acontius and Cyddipe"

Act 1

Scene 10~

Sarah sat beside Becky on a rickety wooden bench that had been used in her high school's plays for the past thirty years. She was rummaging in a basket, looking for the perfect branch to finish her offering to Artemis. There were dancers in the center of the stage, and couplings of people acting casual throughout the set. The light was relatively dim, except for the spot light that was on her and the one that shone at the other end of the stage.

Sarah's co-star - a junior named Jared Michelson (aka Acontius) was off at the far end of the stage, stalking Sarah (aka Cyddipe). She watched him out of the corner of her eye, keeping up an elevated and premeditated conversation with her nurse about the prosperity of the fall harvest and unconditional devotion to the Gods.

Jared/Acontius crouched down behind a table at center stage, the spot light following him and was tripped over by a couple of "drunken partygoers" for comic relief. He looked down and saw a bucket of apples. He plucked one and examined it. Every gesture was exaggerated, so that people in the back row could still see what was happening. He picked up a sharp "rock" and started "carving" into it. He took one last look at the wax fruit and then up at Sarah before chucking it across the stage.

The apple bounced hard off of Becky's protruding chest and she yelped in over dramatic pain. Jared laughed, which caused the directors to laugh, which caused Sarah to laugh, and soon they had to do the whole scene again. And Again. And again, until Jared could successfully hit his mark with the apple and have it roll out to Becky's feet.

Becky let out a theatrical gasp and bent down to pick up the apple. Sarah felt a stiffness run up her spine, this was the part in her dream where everything went to hell. Her eyes darted anxiously, but she managed to keep in her role. She watched as Becky pretended to read what was inscribed on the apple.

"What is it nurse?" Sarah-Cyddipe asked. Nurse Becky turned and looked at her with confusion.

"It says something, My Lady." Nurse Becky said. Sarah-Cyddipe quickly snatched the apple.

"Let me see." She demanded, holding out a hand as Nurse Becky turned and offered it to her. Sarah clutched the the apple close to her face, turning it from left to right as her eyes viciously scanned over the scripture. "I swear by the temple of Artemis that I shall marry -" She paused and gulped, then shook her head. Why was she getting so worked up? "Actontius?" She finished, and looked up to Becky. She was more than relieved when she didn't turn into a Goblin. "Nurse, what does that mean?" She continued. Nurse Becky shrugged.

"I don't know, My Lady." She answered. Sarah shrugged and threw the apple straight into the would-be audience.

* * *

Dress rehearsal progressed normally. With everyone in character and focusing on every little move they made, there wasn't much room for anymore awkward happenings. The directors went through each scene about three or four times, making tweaks and getting everyone used to their costumes and set props. Surprisingly, the most troubling scene was at the very end -the wedding of Acontius and Cyddipe.

Sarah donned an ancient and musky wedding dress that was so outdated thrift shops wouldn't even take it. She stood on a plywood platform adjacent her co-star Jared, as they played through the scene for about the fifth time. She huffed and rolled her eyes as Jeremy (the Priest) read through his nuptial speech. Sarah hated this part of the play. In the real story, Cyddipe was forced to marry Acontius because of his backhanded trickery, not because she loved him -one of the many stories that set male aspirations above female desires. Of course, being a high school play, the masses called for a happy ending. So the script was rewritten to accommodate more of a love story and a happily ever after. Greek tragedies were tragic for a reason. Love rarely won in the end, and if it did, it was twisted and corrupted. It's what gave the original story impact. This "Oh you tricked me into marrying you and stole my future but somehow I love you anyway" story made her want to gag. But, oh well, acting was acting.

She ran through her part with exact perfection as always and turned to face Jared for their final kiss. She looked into Jared's eyes and smiled like she was supposed to. Since this was about the fifth time doing the scene Sarah had a pretty good understanding of Jared's mouth. Usually when they did this scene, Jared's kiss was sweet and chaste. She thought it was because he was nervous about kissing her on stage in front of an audience -it was cute. But something was different today. He was more comfortable with himself, more confident. He stood taller and claimed the stage with his presence. His kisses were more earnest and skillful as well. It didn't bother her though. Jared was cute, all blue eyes and american-boy smile. And they both knew it was just a scene they were doing -nothing else.

"Maybe this time we can get through the scene without anyone fucking up. My lips are getting chapped." Sarah whispered through her smile. Jared gave a small laugh, eyeing the pair of actors who kept messing up their lines and directions and had caused the past three retakes.

"I'm not complaining." Jared whispered back. In a flash, he reached out and took hold of the side of Sarah's face, and stepped into her as he kissed her. Sarah fought the shock zapping out of her eyes. He pressed his lips harder and used his tongue to pry apart her lips, fully claiming her mouth. _Whoa. Where the hell is this coming from? _ She tried not to panic and remain in character, so she reached up and placed her hands on his chest and trailed them up around his neck. He stood tall over her, which was odd because he was only an inch or two taller than Sarah. Sarah struggled not to close her eyes and give in. There was something...something about his kiss -a hunger. She'd never been kissed like that before. Well, only in her dreams maybe. And that was it. Something snapped in Sarah. _ No. This too weird._ She thought over her dream and her day and the spelling of Jared's name and the strange look in his eye that she recognized one hundred percent and immediately stepped away from him. She looked up at him fearfully and caught a ghost of a smile on his face before he turned from her and forced her to carry on with the scene. She looked out over the stage, and prayed that gossiping couple one and two got their lines right this time and remembered to exit stage right.

* * *

Sarah stood in the corner of the backstage, trying desperately to shuck off her final costume, only succeeding in getting it caught around her shoulders. She bent over, and the skirt of the dress fell over her head. Great, now she wasn't just a fool, but a blind fool.

"Sarah, do you need some help getting out of that thing?" Came a light and cheery voice. Sarah sighed.

"Uhh, I guess so. Could you just pull it straight off, please?" She asked, planting her feet firmly on the floor as she braced herself.

"Sure. Ready?" Asked the voice. Sarah tried to narrow her shoulders.

"Yupp!" She hollered through the layers of silk and satin.

"Alright, one, two, three." Called the voice, and in an instant Sarah felt herself fly back as her upper half was released from the dress. She staggered back into the curtain rope, luckily, a hand reached out just in time. "Whoa, easy there." The voice said with a laugh. Sarah laughed and brushed her hair behind her ear as she found her equilibrium.

"Thanks Jared. I was having some issues." Sarah said, looking up to see her bright young co-star fondling the dress into its proper position.

"You're really getting caught up in all this aren't you?" Jared teased, handing the dress back to Sarah. A slight blush colored her cheeks. Sarah didn't normally go for guys younger than her, but she had just technically kissed him five times today, plus he was nice, and had the cutest damned smile.

"I guess so." She replied, suddenly feeling awkward that it was just the two of them. "So...wedding dress...where the hell did they even get this thing?" Sarah said with awkward sarcasm. Jared smiled and laughed appropriately.

"It's probably been here since the class of forty-two." He responded, continuing to smile.

"Yes, well, it sure smells like it." Sarah said, inching closer towards the door when she caught sight of his gaze burning into her.

"I think just the fact that you wear it makes up for that." He said, glancing nervously off to the side. _Is he trying to flirt with me? _ Sarah gaped.

"Thank you, it's nice to know that I can pull off a nineteen-forties moth eaten wedding dress." Sarah teased, eyeing the light coming through the door. Jared inched in front of her, blocking out her escape. His smile seemed...different...sharper.

"You're very sarcastic." He said. Sarah hid her scowl with a polite smile. "It's funny. I like it." He added. Sarah looked away, the spell of his cute dimples having worn off a long time ago. Sarah didn't do this. She didn't fraternize with people in the Drama Club. They had to deal with each other for lengthy amounts of time and sometimes had to perform rather intimate scenes. The pressure of performing on stage was bad enough, she didn't need boy drama getting in the way. Plus, Jared was her co-star -her love interest. They had a kissing scene for Pete's sake. That's when something clicked. They'd rehearsed that scene, what? Like five or six times? _ I was just acting...Hope he didn't take it seriously...shit._ Jared noticed the awkward pause, and changed tactic. "Hey, you're Captain of the Debate Team, right?" He asked, out of the blue. Sarah regarded him shrewdly.

"Yes? Why? You want a chair?" She asked. Jared shook his head and laughed.

"No, my sister's on the JV team." He informed. Sarah nodded and made a gesture with her eyes and mouth that symbolized 'oh'. It wasn't long until he started talking again. "You're President of the Student Council, too, right? And you run track, and you're the lead in all the school plays." He started listing. Sarah furrowed her brow at him. Why was he observing her life in such fine detail?

"Yes, yes and yes. You're on the school newspaper aren't you? You writing an article about me er' something?" Sarah asked, not trying to hide the sarcasm in her voice. Jared laughed and leaned back on his heels.

"No, I'm off duty. I just find it amazing you have time to do all that. From what I hear, you're pretty smart too." He said. Sarah scoffed.

"Thank you for the appraisal, but I don't like to be pounded with flattery. I'm just a very proactive person." She said with a dismissive wave of the hand, more than done with their conversation. Compliments made her mad for some reason, she didn't really know why. She would always see girls in school fighting for attention and gratification like life was a contest. Yes, Sarah did all those things, and yes on paper it might seem impressive, but she did it for herself. She didn't need other people to make her feel like she mattered. She rather enjoyed modesty- compliments just made her feel self-conscious. Maybe deep down she was secretly shy. Frankly, the whole idea just irritated her. But, that didn't mean he wasn't being genuine. Why was she being so hard on him? It's not like he was commenting on her ass.

Jared stood back, clearly surprised with her dismissal.

"I'm sorry...did I say something to make you mad?" He asked, looking all kinds of hurt and bemused. Sarah rolled her eyes at herself. _ Great, way to be an ass-hole Sarah. He was just trying to be nice. Learn to take a compliment!_ She folded her arms and sighed. Why was she so angry with him? What the hell was wrong with her? She glared up at him. There was something about the way he was staring at her...she knew that look.

"No. No, I'm sorry. I'm just in a weird place today. Thank you for helping me out of my costume, I have to go now." She said, hoping he would just take the hint and get out of her way.

"Any time...do you need help putting anything away?" He asked, looking suspiciously around the empty stage. Sarah's eyes followed. Where did everybody go?

"No thanks. I got it, Jared." Sarah was about to take a step, and Jared was about to block it when someone came walking through the door, they both turned and looked.

"Sarah! There you are." Called the persnickety voice of Mrs Jones, the school's tenth grade english teacher and director of Drama Club. "You have a phone call, the office forwarded it to me." She said, smiling from Sarah to Jared and back again. "You can take it in my office." She added. Sarah gave Jared a quick glance and walked straight past the both of them to Mrs Jones's office. She entered to find the phone patiently waiting off the hook.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey, Sarah? It's Karen. I figured you were out of play practice by now, but your father's running a little late at the office. Do you think you could get a ride home? Or you could wait up there for a little bit. I'd come get you but I've got dinner in the oven." Karen's static voice hummed into Sarah's ear. Sarah frowned. Great, now she was stuck here even longer.

"Yea, that's fine Karen, I'll do option two. Bye." Sarah said and put the phone back on the receiver. She then turned to exit, and was met in the doorway by both Mrs Jones and Jared. She groaned inwardly. They were in the middle of conversation and popped their heads towards Sarah when they saw her.

"Oh, that reminds me, Happy Birthday, Sarah. You and Jared did great today. I'm sorry practice took so long." Mrs Jones said, beaming at both Sarah and Jared.

"Thank you. And, it's fine. Practice makes perfect." Sarah said. Mrs Jones grinned, and stepped further into her office. Jared took a step to the side and gestured for Sarah to proceed him into the hall. Sarah gave a sigh of defeat and crossed the threshold.

"Have a good night you two." Mrs Jones called. Sarah glanced over her shoulder and gave a weak wave, stepping into the hall. Sarah shook her head and then turned to face Jared, who had purposefully stepped in front of her.

"My Dad's here. I have to go." She said with clear irritation. Jared glowered down at Sarah and took the hint, stepping out of Sarah's way. _Finally! _ She cheered and started a brisk walk down the hallway, only turning around when he called her name.

"Sarah?" He called out. Sarah stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"Yea?" She asked.

"I heard it was your birthday today." He said with a cheeky smile. Sarah scowled.

"Uhh, yea. It is." She replied. Jared shrugged and gave her an apologetic grin, just realizing he'd somehow gone too far.

"Happy Birthday." He said, rolling back on his heel. Sarah felt the crack of a smile. _ Ok, so hopefully that's all settled._

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow." She said, giving him a small wave and vanishing into the hall.

* * *

Sarah dashed down the hall, around the corner, and into the locker room. She'd told Karen she'd wait at the school for her father, and she'd told Jared her father was already here. Why did she lie to him? Did she really feel that uncomfortable around him? _Maybe it was the way he was looking at me..._ She wondered. Boys rarely made a pass at Sarah, and if they did she didn't realize that was what they were doing. She was focused, driven. She'd had a few boy friends over the years, and was no stranger to crushing, but she valued a good friendship above all. She came from a small town, the kind where everyone knew everyone, so she was friends with all the guys at school -grew up with them. She couldn't picture getting serious with any of them. It was just too weird. With all that said, she'd never felt uncomfortable around any of them -until today, and never had with Jared until just now. Why now? Was she still shaken from her dream? Was it because of all the accidental feels being copped? Was it because she couldn't get the image of a certain Goblin King out of her head all day? Was it the fact that Jared was suspiciously close to Jareth? _ Hmm, stop being so paranoid Sarah._ She scolded herself, jingling on the padlock of her gym locker.

Sarah was angry, and anxious. She needed something to focus on, to let off steam. She popped the button on her jeans and shimmied them down to her ankles. Kicking off her flats, she stepped out of her jeans and reached in her locker for her favorite pair of short shorts. She pulled them up and rolled the waist band once and then reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. She poked her head out and did a quick scan of the room before unhooking her bra and swapping it out for a purple workout bra, followed by a black wife-beater tank top. She grabbed her spare pair of socks and slipped them on, propping up first her left foot, then her right as she slipped on a pair of running shoes. She looked to the clock at the end of the room, it was almost 8 o'clock already. It would be dark out soon...oh well, the track was lit. She grabbed a water and headed out the back door leading to the sports track.

Sarah stepped out onto the track, and looked from left to right. She was alone. Good. The sky was starting to dim, and the massive spot lights had already kicked on. She walked to the head of the hundred meter lanes and set her water down by the fence. She then gathered her hair and put it up in a pony-tail. Looking down, she realized she forgotten to take her necklace off. _Oh well, it'll be fine._ She thought, and turned and headed back down the track, pulling out hurdles at ten intervals and made her way back to the starting line. She did her usual set of stretches and warm ups, making sure she was good and ready.

She glared anxiously at the school as she stood on the starting line, and started shuffling from foot to foot. She hunkered down and placed her hands at the starting line, drawing one leg up to her chest and extending the other. Her starting blocks were locked up in the storage room, but she wasn't running for time so it didn't really bother her. She wiggled the toe of her sneaker into the spongey grit of the track, and then she was off.

* * *

Sarah didn't know exactly how long she had been outside, only that it was well past dark out and her father still wasn't there. She put her hands on the top of her head and paced from side to side, taking one steady breath after another. She'd been running nonstop over and over. She was starting to get tired. She wiped fly away strands of hair away from her face and grimaced. She was sweating. She looked around the track, moon and stars and it was still smoldering hot out, or maybe it was just because she was running so hard. She continued to huff and puff. Her breathing wasn't settling. Her heart felt constricted by the heat and fabric that stuck to her skin. Her head dipped low as she focused on the beating of her heart and she put her hands on her hips. _I'm alone, fuck it._ She concluded, taking the hem of her sticky tank top and pulling it over her head. She saw other girls practicing in just a sports bra, but she never had. She didn't know why, it wasn't like she was self conscious or anything.

The heat and pressure melted away from her chest immediately, and she took a deep breath through her nose as a cooling breeze grazed across her bare stomach. God, she felt so much better. She took another swig of water and looked towards the parking lot, it was just visible from around the corner of the school. Where was her father?

Needing to take a break, Sarah sat on the track and started stretching. She bent one leg, and extended the other, stretching her arms out to clasp around the sole of her foot, working her hamstring. After a few seconds, she switched to the other leg. She then stood and stepped towards the fence. She raised one leg and propped her heel over the railing and bent down to touch the toe of her other foot. She heard a noise and paused.

Sarah looked up, leg still extended high the air, and scanned her eyes in the direction she thought she heard the sound. It was dark out, even with the stadium lights on, she couldn't see very far. She heard the noise again, louder this time. She removed her leg from the fence and stood, looking up and all around. She heard it again, from behind her this time. She whirled around and saw nothing. _ What was that? It was like...a rustling -flapping? A bird maybe?_ She wondered, still gazing up into the night sky.

A few minutes past, and she gave up her visual interrogation of the night sky and lowered her head. She took a step away from the fence, heading back towards the starting line, when something caught her eye.

Sarah paused mid-stride, She'd caught something out of the corner of her eye, something white, hugely contrasting with the night around her. She turned her head to face it and found herself momentarily stupefied.

Sarah blinked, and tilted her head slightly, registering the white and golden barn owl that stared back. It cocked its head to one side, mimicking Sarah. She tilted her head to the other side, and again, the bird mimicked. She straightened her back and took a couple more steps. The owl shuffled along the steeple it had perched on and waited. Sarah blinked a few more times, and slowly felt the clamp on her jaw start to loosen. She was wary, catching the glint the light reflected off its curling talons. What was an owl doing so close? Was something wrong with it? Would it attack her? She wondered.

Minutes and minutes past, as Sarah and the owl blankly stared at one another. When it seemed enough time had past to bring her mind out of the danger zone and rule the bird's presence as safe and disease free, Sarah's inner voice of reason gave way to its mischievous counterpart and entertained the idea that she knew exactly what it was doing there.

In an instant, Sarah's demeanor changed, the stance of her body exuding a very different kind of aura. She narrowed her eyes on the owl, and it blinked in response.

"I knew an owl like you once." Sarah said casually. She paused and reached down for her water. "He was a special owl." She crinkled her nose and sneered, glancing at the bird as she pursed her lips around the mouth piece of her water bottle. The bird cocked its head and leaned forward, ruffling its feathers. "He had magic powers and could do all kinds of wonderful things." She waved her hand around in the air. "But he was selfish, and arrogant, and cruel and it ended up coming back to bite him in the ass." She hissed, glaring at the innocent owl.

The owl ruffled its feathers and covered its head with its wing. Sarah cracked a smirk and huffed. This was fun. She'd never openly discussed the Goblin King before -aside from with Hoggle and the gang.

"But you're nothing like that." She said, setting her water bottle back on the ground. "If you were, you would be spouting glitter by now." The owl turned its head almost a full 180 degrees. Aw, how adorable. Sarah snickered to herself and started stretching again, extending her legs and reaching in all kinds of exaggerated poses. Yes, she was giving the bird a show, why the hell not? It was fun pretending. She hadn't made a wish, so there was no way it could actually be Jareth, right?

When she was good and limber, Sarah stood and oriented herself to the starting line.

"Bird, you wanna keep time? States is coming up soon. I'm going for gold." She said, glancing over her shoulder. The owl teetered from foot to foot. Sarah took that as a yes. She turned back around and faced the line of hurdles. She hunkered down into position and raised her derrière high into the air, quietly smiling to herself. Oh, this was so wrong. "You ready?" She called, twisting her toe into the grit. "Set!" She tensed her arms and lowered her head. "Go!" She hollered, and took off in the blink of an eye.

The owl perched silently on the wooden beam of the steeple, leaning forward and watching Sarah with interest as she bounded over each hurdle. She flew with easy grace, making her actual jumps hardly distinguishable from her sprint. Her body streamlined down the track. She kept her head low, and extended her arms in perfect posture. The owl cocked its head. She really was very good, not to mention the stretch and curve her barely clad body made with each jump. The owl ruffled its feathers again, and shook its head.

_One, two, three, jump. One, two, three, jump._ Sarah's mind murmured, concentrating on each jump, and watching as she came closer and closer towards the finish line. After her final landing, she hunkered down into super streamline mode and sprinted the twenty foot straightaway across the finish line. She reduced her pace until she came to an easy halt, and put her hands over the top of her head as she caught her breath. She leaned against another steeple that was left off to the side and looked up the track. She frowned, the owl was gone. _Aw, we were having such a nice conversation. _ She pouted.

"Eleven point two." Came a precise and highly annunciated voice. Sarah yelped and dashed off of the steeple and into the middle of the track. _ Oh My Holy Fucking Shit! _ She stumbled and whipped around, eyes wide and frantic.

"What the fuck!" She shrieked on reflex, bringing a hand to her chest when her heart lurched against her ribcage. _Oh my god..._

* * *

Jareth sat on the steeple perched on his toes, resting his forearms on his knees. He tilted his head to one side, and snickered.

"Not what you were hoping for?" Jareth asked with a sneering hiss. Sarah's eyes widened and she straightened her back. _ My God, it's really him. It's -Jareth! The Fucking Goblin King! Oh my god..._

Sarah's eyes slowly fell over the picture that was Jareth the Goblin King. He was perched up on his toes like an -owl. He was dressed in all black, the neck of his shirt hung low and flowed in the slight breeze. Sarah gulped. _ Fuck._ He looked exactly as she remembered him -no better. Dream Jareth had nothing on this. He hadn't aged a day. He had such a lithe frame and eerie sensuality. His hair was just as messy and perfect as she remembered, framing his sharp features. His eyes were done up in a smokey black that made his pale blue eyes burn from his face. Sarah's mouth started to water. _ Shit. Stop it, Sarah. He's really here, this isn't a dream. You know this can't be good. Stop gawking -Stttopppppppp. Composure Sarah! Control the situation!_ She screamed at herself.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sarah demanded, taking half a step back. Jareth regarded her shrewdly, reveling in the element of surprise.

"Now why all the hostility? We were having such a pleasant conversation." He said with total wickedness. Sarah's jaw tensed. _Shit. I said all those things! Shit! I practically flaunted my ass in his face! Fuck! No, Sarah. Do. Not. Panic._ She thought over and over.

"I-I thought - How? Why- How are you even here? I didn't say the words. I didn't make a wish." She stumbled over her own tongue, trying to decide which question was more important- how or why. Jareth gave a dismissive glance off to the side.

"Good. Because I'm not here to grant you one." He said, hunkering down to actually sit on the steeple. Sarah's eyes narrowed, fighting not trail her eyes up his legs.

"Then what are you doing here." She demanded, shrouding her fear behind anger and an offensive demeanor.

"So serious, can I not simply drop by to visit an old friend?" He asked, placing a hand over his heart and trying to look somewhat hurt. Sarah fisted her hands.

"Then you must be lost because I'm not your friend, Jareth." She said with warning. Jareth flashed her a quick smirk.

"Friend, nemesis, same difference." He said with a toothy sneer, locking his eyes with hers. Sarah's ears twitched with the intensity of his gaze.

"I haven't seen or heard from you in three years. Why now? What do you want from me?" She asked, holding her ground.

"I don't want anything from you." Jareth answered, stepping down from the steeple and taking a few steps towards her. Sarah dug her heel into the ground. Fuck he was hot. Years of dreams could not have prepared her for this.

"Well, you're here for a reason." Sarah simplified, darting her eyes down his chest as he approached her, and raising them back to his face once he was standing in front of her. Her mouth gaped open just a bit. He was so close. She could smell his rich aroma washing over her.

"Would it suffice if I said I missed you?" Jareth asked, observing the way her chest rose and fell with his proximity. Sarah felt a heat flare. Was this the start to one of her dreams?

"And why would you miss me?" She asked, locking her eyes on his nose to avoid his vicious stare.

"I think you have an inkling." He said, lowering his gaze over Sarah's body. Sarah gulped, just now realizing all she was wearing was a work out bra and some booty shorts.

"No, not really." She responded, her eyes scanning Jareth's face furiously for any clue as to what he was thinking.

"You're wet." Jareth observed, and ran a finger down the side of Sarah's waist, which was glistening with sweat from her previous exertions. Sarah's chest rose, but she remained still. _Fuck. Why is he touching me. Focus!_ She would not give in to his distractions. "Something tells me you're not as surprised to see me as you're pretending to be." His voice was low and soft. His eyes caught the glint of Sarah's necklace, and followed it down into the shadowed hollow between her breasts. It was then that he felt a strong urge to find out what was hanging at the end of her chain. Sarah gulped._ Probably because I've been thinking of nothing but you since my dream last night. Wait...I have a crazy real dream and now he's here? There's no way that's coincidence._

"Are you going to tell me what the hell it is you're doing here?" Sarah demanded. Glancing down at his wayward finger. She gulped. He was still touching her. Jareth tilted his head slightly, roaming his dark gaze over Sarah's shiny form once more, his eyes catching on her belly button this time.

"You've grown since the last time I've seen you." Jareth rumbled with lingering sensuality, changing the direction of his finger to trail along the waist band of her shorts. Sarah's nostrils flared. No, this was too much.

"Jareth stop. Don't touch me. This is weird." Sarah said, glancing nervously away from him. He brought his eyes to her face, his expression stoned with dark determination.

"And why is that?" He asked, bringing the rest of his fingers to join the first and started a new trail back up her side. Sarah flinched away from him. His ego smiled. Yes, he definitely had an affect on her.

"You want the list?" She blurted, now conscious more than ever as to her revealing apparel. She thought about going to get her tank top, but immediately decided against it. Doing so would show him he affected her (too bad he already knew), and she'd be damned if she gave him that satisfaction. Jareth looked at her with amused interest, silently pushing her to continue. She huffed. "Maybe because the last time we saw each other was when you kidnapped my baby brother and did everything you could to stop me from getting him back? Or the fact that I was just a kid, hell I still kind of am and you're how old? Doesn't that strike you as a little wrong? Or even just the simple fact that we didn't exactly part on the best of terms." She rambled, forcing herself to stop before she got too worked up. Geez, why couldn't this just be another dream?

"I am immortal, Sarah. Age has no meaning to me." Jareth's voice was soft and informative. Sarah tried to remain impassive. _Well of course he doesn't care about age! Fucking pedo! _Her inner voice shrieked. _What do you mean pedo? How many hot nasty dreams have you had about him? Don't go all hypocritical now just because he's finally showed up._ Said its raunchy counterpart. Sarah's mind had been waging war a lot lately, she'd have to give them names soon.

"And you're not mad at me for beating your Labyrinth?" She asked. Jareth paused, then continued drinking in her body.

"No...I find your victory rather -admirable." He said slowly -reluctantly, as if testing the thought as he said it.

"You still haven't told me why you're here. You didn't just pop in at random for no reason. And don't say it's because you missed me because I'm not buying it." Sarah spat, darting out a finger and jabbing him in the chest. Ok, that gesture was a little unnecessary. She just wanted to touch him. Jareth slowly reached up and took told of her accusing finger with two of his own, and directed it away from him. He didn't like to be jabbed at, but he was able to suppress his annoyance. Sarah watched as he turned her hand away from him -and didn't let go.

"I hear it's your birthday today." He purred. Sarah was taken back. _ Really? Why the hell is my birthday so damned important?_ She scoffed.

"Yea? Who'd you hear that from?" Sarah countered, sounding irritated. Jareth gave her a sly grin.

"You're quite popular with the boys aren't you?" He deflected. Sarah scowled.

"What are you talk- wait. You mean today? Mr Crone, Ben, Tommy, that was all you?" She asked in shocked horror. Jareth gave a cheeky smile.

"You were so flustered. I must say, I rather enjoyed playing high school for a day." He snickered. Sarah was starting to grow uncomfortable. _I knew there was something strange going on..._

"Jared? You were Jared too? Just today? Or have you always been him?" She asked accusingly. Jareth's smile grew bigger.

"Just today." He answered, and paused. "He's a very lucky boy." He added, running his tongue along his teeth as he stared at her. "Tell me, would you like to borrow my Chapstick, Sarah?" He asked sarcastically. Sarah's face flushed beat red. _Fuck. _ She'd made out with him how many times? But it wasn't him, it was Jared. No, it was him pretending to be Jared. _ Fucking shit._

"So you've been fucking with me all day? Why?" She asked, glaring at him.

"To shatter your nerves, of course." He stated, as if revealing some diabolical plan. Sarah drew her brow at him.

"Why?" She asked.

"To better prepare you for our reunion." He replied. Sarah pursed her lips at him.

"A reunion you still haven't said the reason for." Sarah snapped. Jareth's smile retreated to a humble grin, and he eyed her with prepared anticipation.

"Come, come, Sarah. I'm not here to fight you, relax. It's your birthday. I've brought you a gift." He said, all light hearted and seductive.

"What?" Sarah gaped and scowled at the same time. Jareth took a step away from Sarah and watched as the confusion played openly across her face. "What? Why? You going to offer me my dreams again?" She asked sardonically. Jareth forced a sneer.

"No. That, my dear, was a one time offer." He said, failing to hold back the dangerous undertone in his voice.

"What then? And what makes this birthday so much more special than the previous two?" Sarah asked, both intrigued and cautious. Jareth stood tall before her, and narrowed his eyes.

"You weren't old enough for what I want to give you." He purred and rumbled and God his gaze was hot. Sarah practically melted at his words. _ That sounds very...suggestive_. She thought with just a twinge of excitement.

"And what is that exactly?" A small flare of hope lit up her eyes. Maybe this would be her dream come true after all. Jareth stood back, the dark fire leaving his eyes.

"The chance to come back with me." He said, looking as candid as ever. There was a silence. Seconds ticked as Sarah tried to register Jareth's words and the solemn expression on his face. _ What? What the fuck? Why? I thought he was going to offer me birthday sex._ Sarah didn't know how to think or respond. A night of passion she was down for, but going back to the Underground?

"What." Sarah blurted, dumbfounded. "Why?" She asked, shaking her head and frowning. Jareth tilted his head and shrugged all innocent-like.

"You have a certain merit, a set number of qualities that are compatible with the Underground. You have allies and an experience with magic...so much time has past and you still believe -not to mention your...victory. You have more than earned a place in my realm." He explained, trying to sound as detached as possible. Sarah's frown depended. _ What? He's offering this because I'm qualified? But...I thought..._

"Jareth I-" She started, wrapping an arm protectively around her waist and glueing her eyes to the ground. "I appreciate it -really, I do. But...I can't." She said reluctantly. Of course she couldn't go back. She had friends, family, a life -a really good life in her opinion. She could never just up and leave it all behind. Jareth's expression was immobile, as if he were expecting her answer.

"Are you sure?" He asked slowly. Sarah squirmed at the way his eyes were examining her. She was turning him down -again.

"I-I just can't. I can't leave my family. You taught me that, remember?" She asked, wincing as she looked up at him. She expected him to look -what? Hurt? Angry? But he didn't. He looked completely unaffected.

"Very well." He said, low and clipped. Sarah drew a curious brow, recovering from her awkwardness. "In that case, I have a supplementary gift." He continued, and Sarah's brow heightened further.

Jareth raised a hand in the air between them and conjured a crystal. He glimpsed absentmindedly at it and rolled it along his hand before tossing it to Sarah.

Sarah caught the clear crystal and peered into it anxiously, unaware of Jareth's scorching gaze. The crystal started to fog, and an image came into view. She saw...a room. It was...her kitchen? What? The fog continued to clear, and she saw the tiny forms of her father, Toby and Karen come into view. They were gathered around the kitchen table, eating dinner and chatting away. Sarah shook her head and scowled.

"You're offering me my family?" She asked, staring confusedly at him. A devilish sneer broke through Jareth's stone face.

"Very perceptive." He said. Sarah continued to be confused.

"I don't understand. Why-" She started. _Why would he be giving me my family...unless.. _And then something clicked. "Wait...You have them? What have you done?" She asked, more sternly this time. Jareth cocked a cheeky eyebrow at her. "What have you done with my family." She demanded again, her stance turning fierce as she shot murderous daggers at the Goblin King. There was a significant silence and a deafening _Dun, Dun, Dun_ moment.

"Nothing, yet." He said with a sickening sneer. Sarah threw her hands down and almost stomped at him.

"What do you want with them? Why have you taken them?" She was practically roaring.

"I told you, they're my present to you." He explained. Sarah squeezed the crystal so hard she was surprised it didn't shatter.

"Why would you take them just to give them back to me?" She asked, watching his every move like a hawk.

"So that you would be more inclined to accept my original offer." He said. Sarah felt a strong heat rise in her chest._ Fuck, of course this was a trick. He doesn't just offer something without there being a cost. And he's forcing this on me?_

"Why do you want me to come back with you?" She commanded with raging intensity. Jareth laughed. Her fiery spirit was adorable.

"Will the reason have any impact on the decision to save your family?" He countered, knowing full well he'd backed her into a corner. Sarah stood, awe-struck. He was right. It didn't matter. No matter what he told her, she would do anything to keep her family from harm.

"How do I know you really have them, and this isn't just some kind of trick?" She asked instead. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her, a little impressed she was being so thorough.

"I suppose you don't. I could take you home if you'd like. They won't be there." He said, measuring her out. Sarah ground her teeth.

"I don't trust you to take me anywhere." She snarled and booked past him, out the gate and into the darkness.

Sarah didn't look back. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. Why was he here? Why did he want her to go back with him? What had he done with her family? She ran and ran and ran. She didn't trust him to bring her to her real home, and it was only a mile or so if she cut through a few back yards. _ They'll be there. They'll be there. He's bluffing._ She tried to console herself and fight back the surge of panic. _ Me and my fucking dreams, this is a God damned nightmare. _ She felt a heat in her cheeks and knew she was on the verge of tears. _ No. _ She fought them back with anger.

* * *

Sarah rounded the final corner, leaping up the steps and bursting through the front door. She was practically heaving she was so out of breath, and she clutched her side as a sharp cramp stung her ribs.

"Dad! Karen! Toby!" She screamed, darting in and out of every room in the house. She spun around frantically and froze. She smelled something...burning -smoke? She dashed into the kitchen and saw smoke was starting to pour through the seams of the oven. _Karen said she was cooking dinner... _She thought and ran to switch off the oven and extract it's charred contents. She then bolted up the stairs, throwing open every door. Nothing. There was no one home. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. _ This wasn't happening. There was no way Jareth had her family.

"Satisfied?" Jareth asked.

Sarah turned around slowly, hands fisted and teeth snarling. Jareth was leaning against an open doorway, looking positively arrogant. She stormed him.

"I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU HURT THEM I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU." She screamed, coming at him with weak punches. Jareth caught her by the wrist and stood her up straight, laughing at her outburst.

"My Sarah, language." He scolded, keeping her still as she thrashed and flailed.

"Let me go!" She screamed. He waited for her to settle down before speaking.

"Are you going to behave?" He asked, mockingly. Sarah grunted, but otherwise didn't answer. Jareth smirked, and released her.

Sarah thrashed her arms away from him and snarled.

"Where are they?" She demanded. Jareth slumped against the door frame.

"They're safe, don't worry -unless you refuse my offer of course." He said, tilting his head towards her. Sarah took a deep breath.

"So, let me get this straight. You show up after three years of nothing and kidnap my family so that I will go back with you to the Underground? I thought you were giving me a present? This is extortion!" She yelled, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, since you've denied every gift I've ever offered you, I thought I'd try a different tactic." Jareth said, waving his hand casually in the air. Sarah was quiet a moment.

"If you want me so bad why not just kidnap me?" She asked.

"You know why." He rumbled all dark and ominous. Sarah thought on his words. _You have no power over me - oh yea...right. _ She remembered the obvious.

"What's going to happen?" She asked, slowly coming to the conclusion that she would soon be swapping out her work out bra for a corset. Jareth shifted and folded his arms across his chest as well, relaxing just a bit. _Ok, she's done fighting...that was relatively easy._ He thought.

"Well, should you accept, your family will be returned as if nothing ever happened. Should you refuse...your father will be met with an unfortunate car accident and your step mother, and poor young Toby will suffer a tragic kitchen fire." He stated, his expression stone. Sarah felt hot tears begin to build in her eyes._ No... _ That's it. Her decision was made. There was no question in the matter. What ever Jareth wanted, it didn't matter right now. She wouldn't let him hurt her family. She clenched her eyes shut and looked away. Jareth started to relax, sensing her defeat. He fought back a victory smirk. He knew she wouldn't accept. Choosing not to underestimate her yet again, he took out a little insurance policy, knowing she wouldn't refuse him if her family were in danger. "So, what will it be Sarah? Yes, or no?" He asked. Sarah was quiet, sullenly sorting through everything that was happening.

"Can I at least say goodbye?" Sarah asked, letting the utter despair ring through her voice. Jareth sighed.

"No." He stated, his mouth falling into a hard line. Sarah's head darted up to him with desperation.

"It's my birthday, and my present. Please, just let me say goodbye." She pleaded, biting down on her trembling lip. Jareth felt a small frown tug at his lips. He didn't like it when she frowned.

"Fine." He gave in. "They're asleep in their beds." He said. Sarah's eyes widened and she dashed past him into the hall. "Oh, one more thing. Please don't try to wake them, because they won't stir until our transaction is complete." He added. Sarah stomped down the hall and ignored him. _ Transaction? That fucking manipulative son of a bitch!_ Her mind roared.

She entered her parents room first, and dashed to the side of the bed when she saw her parents sound asleep. She gnawed on her trembling lip and embraced the limp bodies of first her father, and then Karen.

"I am so sorry." Sarah muttered. "I don't know what's happening, but I won't let him hurt you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Her voice cracked and wavered. No, she needed to be strong, she would not cry.

Unable to bear the sight of her zombified parents, she reluctantly stood and backed away from the bed.

"Goodbye." She whispered, and closed the door behind her.

She then walked down the hall, the thought of where Jareth had gone haunting the back of her mind. She stopped at the door to Toby's room, and cracked it open. Pale light from the hall lit up the room, spot lighting Toby's bed. She crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. She spotted faint tuffs of golden blonde hair and pulled back the blanket, revealing the rest of her baby brother. Another surge of tears threatened to break the damn of her eyelids as she ran a hand through his hair.

"This is all my fault. Everything. I should have never wished you away. I love you Toby." She whispered, bending down to plant a woeful kiss upon his cheek, and pulled his sleeping body into a vice-like hug. She breathed into his hair, remembering breakfast that morning. They were supposed to have cake tonight. She wondered what would happen once she left. Before she could crush every bone in his body, Sarah reluctantly placed Toby back under the covers, and tucked him in good and tight. Then, she just sat there, staring. She didn't know how much time had past, and she didn't care. This was the last time she would ever see him again.

"He's certainly gotten bigger." Came a low and snarky voice from over Sarah's shoulder. Sarah whipped her head around and saw Jareth, sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. He ignored her glare, and reached up to brush a finger through Toby's hair. Like a trip-wire, Sarah's hand clamped around Jareth's wrist.

"Don't you fucking touch him." She roared, digging her nails into him as hard as she could. Jareth turned his attentions away from the boy and gave her a challenging eyebrow.

"I have never harmed him, Sarah. This is the second time you've placed an offensive hand on me, I recommend you not do it again." Jareth said, eyeing her seriously. While Sarah refused to give in to resorting to waterworks, the build up of tears was simply too much for her eyelids to restrain, and one hot tear after another unwillingly cascaded down her cheeks. "Oh Sarah, stop being so dramatic." He said, pulling his arm out of her grip and resting it in his lap.

"Dramatic?" She choked. There was a slight hiccup to her voice. Jareth gave a small sigh and rose a hand to gently stroke away Sarah's tears. "You're taking away everything from me, and you're calling me dramatic? Do you honestly have no idea what you're doing?" She asked again, unable to fight off his touch against her cheek. Jareth's expression softened, if only slightly.

"I understand very well." He said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And you really don't care, do you? Do you have any compassion?" Sarah spat. Jareth's stare turned cold, and he remained silent. Sarah's lip continued to quiver. "I hate you." She muttered. There was a flash of some emotion in Jareth's eyes, but it flew too fast for her to register.

"Your feelings for me are irrelevant at the moment. You have five minutes." He said, standing from the bed and exiting the room.

* * *

Sarah put her hands in her lap and lowered her head. _Why is he doing this? Is he really that evil? Why, why?_ _Because you beat him and made him look like a fool! This is his revenge!_ Her mind yelled. _But why wait until now? It makes no sense... _After taking a moment to collect herself, she stood and left the room, unable to look back. She walked back to her room, and was relieved when Jareth wasn't waiting for her. She sat down at her vanity and looked around at all the pictures and keepsakes she had collected over the years. She plucked a picture that was wedged into the frame of her mirror and looked at it. It was a picture of Toby, her father and Karen, and her. She remembered that day, they were at a family picnic. Toby caught his first fish that day. She looked over and spotted the wooden box Hoggle had given her. She reached for it and opened the lid. She sighed, and folded the photograph until it fit neatly in the small box atop the flowers. She closed the lid and stood, quickly changing into a T-shirt and jeans. She put the small box in her back pocket and stared at the floor. This was really it. Some fucking birthday this was turning out to be.

"Tick tock, Sarah." Jareth called from the doorway. Sarah stood tall and glared at him.

"I have your word they'll wake up? That they won't be hurt?" She asked. Jareth nodded. She then darted her head away from him. "Could you make it so they forget? So no one will remember me?" She asked, wincing as she said it. Jareth cocked his head slightly. "I don't want anyone to worry about me, to miss me, feel any pain." She looked back up at him with pleading eyes. "Please." She asked. Jareth stared on for a moment, contemplating her request.

"As you wish." He said after a minute. Sarah gave a deep sigh and slumped her shoulders.

"Alright...I guess I'm ready then." She said, wrapping her arms around herself. Jareth narrowed his eyes on her.

"Come here." He commanded. She didn't move. He waited, and then sighed, giving in to approach her instead. He stood before her, and gazed down with strict seriousness. "Sarah, do you willingly accept my offer to accompany me back to the Underground?" He asked. Sarah closed her eyes and frowned. _ No._

"Yes..." She muttered, shuddering at the words.

Suddenly, there was a dramatic change in the air. Sarah felt...odd and looked up to Jareth. He was smiling at her -broadly. He took a step towards her, and she retreated. In a flash, he reached out and took hold of her wrist and yanked her flush against him. Sarah fought, but his other arm snaked around her back and held her hard to his chest. He lowered his head, and pressed his lips to her ear. She yelped and pushed against him.

"I've waited so long for this moment. Happy Birthday, Sarah." He whispered, letting the sickening echo of his laughter claw around her despairing mind.


	4. Flame And Shadow

**A/N- This is the only warning/spoiler I am going to give regarding this story. As you may have already guessed, this Jareth is much darker than anything I've previously written, and this Sarah is bluntly headstrong, which may be offending to some readers. If you don't like dark Jareth or confusing conflicted raunchy nastiness then I recommend not reading this story. The things I have planned may be a little confusing if you don't initially understand -and that's the point. Their relationship is going to be very different from what I've written thus far and may not be identifiable to some readers, so if you don't like the way the story goes -I'm sorry, but I do. =P So, this is either a warning or a spoiler -take it as you may. And now, without further adieu...**

* * *

Chapter 4, Flame And Shadow

* * *

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" Sarah growled through clenched teeth, pushing and pulling against Jareth's chest.

"Sarah...enough with all the dramatics, you're really starting to rain on my parade." Jareth chided, giving her a slight smirk as he released the hold he kept on her arms, effectively sending her flying backwards to land flat on her ass.

Sarah shuffled backwards, and darted her head in all directions. They weren't in her room anymore. She was surrounded by massive stone walls and beady yellow eyes glinting in the moonlight. She tried to stagger to her feet, but failed, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety and adrenaline. There were Goblins everywhere, laughing at her from the shadows. She got a flash of the moment when she'd first met Jareth, and of all the Goblins that had been creeping around her parents bedroom that night. It was frightening. After another split second of vicious scanning, she was finally able to bring an image of her surroundings into view. They were in the throne room. Before she could register anything else, Jareth was kneeling in front of her, occupying her view.

"Sarah, are you alright?" He asked. His voice was soft and genuine. He reached out for her, but she was quick to swat his hand away and shuffled further back.

"What!" She yelled, confounded and enraged with his question. Jareth moved towards her and reached for her arm yet again.

"Are you hurt?" He clarified, starting to close a hand around one of Sarah's wrists. Sarah's eyes shot out at him like rockets.

"Am I hurt? What the fuck kind of question is that!" She roared, actually resorting to kick him away. "Don't touch me!" She continued to holler. Jareth scowled and his eyes darkened, apparently reaching the end of his kind streak. He then launched himself at her, forcefully taking her by the wrists and hauling her to her feet. Sarah winced at the pain he exuded in his grip. "You're hurting me." She whined through her teeth.

"When I ask you a question, I expect an answer." His voice was low and stern, but held a dark hissing undertone. Sarah continued to struggle against his grip.

"I don't give a damn about what you expect. Let me go!" She screamed, finally able to break free of his grasp. She didn't consider that it was because he let her.

Sarah staggered a good ten feet away, stomping her foot and standing hunched over like a pouting child. She ran a hand in circles around her wrist.

"What do you care whether I'm hurt or not anyway?" She growled at him. Jareth stood tall, his expression revealing nothing.

"I do not wish you to cause yourself harm." He answered. Sarah shook her head furiously; what an incredulous and highhanded answer.

"Bullshit! You don't give a damn about me! You tricked me, maneuvered me in to coming back here. You've taken everything away from me. You've ruined my life! You don't care! Why have you taken me here?" She demanded, trying her best to remain strong and ignore the snickering masses around her. Jareth took a casual step in her direction.

"Because I want you here. And as to the rest of your rant, can you say I would do such a thing for someone I didn't have deep feeling for?" He retorted with a quirked brow, slowly inching towards her like he was cornering a wild animal. Sarah shuffled in her place, looking for some means of escape.

"You must really hate me then." She spat. Jareth's mouth fell into a hard line, and his eyes narrowed on her, seeming to be angered by her presumption. "NO." Sarah warned, thrashing out a hand between her and the encroaching Goblin King. "No. You got what you wanted. I came back with you. Now, leave me alone." She commanded at him. A sly grin curled one end of his lips, like he was enjoying the hunt.

"I may have acquired you, my sweet Sarah, but you are wrong in that I do _not _have what I want." His voice was dark and bubbling. Sarah's eyes burned like lasers.

"What is it you want then? Why have you brought me here?" She continued yelling, pointing an accusatory finger at him. A snake-like grin creeped along Jareth's face, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Why don't you come here and find out?" He challenged with a hooded gaze. Sarah's back grew stiff.

"No." She held her chin high, returning Jareth's challenge.

With only a stride or two, Jareth brought himself to loom over Sarah's fuming form. She inched back slightly, but decided it best just to hold her ground.

"I can _make_ you come to me." He warned, letting a haunting sensuality and all kinds of dark promises roll along with it. Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him.

"No, you can't." She said, standing firm footed on the stone floor. She heard the _"ooohhhh" _of gossiping Goblins snickering in the corners. Jareth's grin grew with her challenge. He reached out and grabbed her once more by the wrist, spreading her arms apart as she wriggled against it. "Stop it! You can't do this! You have no power over me!" There, she'd finally said it -the one defense she knew she had over him.

Jareth's chest rose and a dark predatory grin wretched his lips. His eyes narrowed and gleamed with a fire that stuck Sarah to the very core. Suddenly, his features seemed more angular, more intense. He looked so animalistic -so inhuman. In that split second, she was truly terrified of him.

"Oh, my Sarah, you don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say that." His voice sounded triumphant, relieved almost. The next thing Sarah registered was the pound of hard and cold stone against her back and the shadowing portrait of the Goblin King as he loomed over her.

In a flash, Jareth had pinned Sarah to the ground. His hands gripped her forearms, keeping her still, as he brought himself face to face with her shocked and winded expression. Sarah found herself breathless as she lay beneath the immovable weight of Jareth's strong grasp, and swore she saw fangs in his smile. Her mouth gaped as if to scream or protest, but he didn't give her the chance.

"I could rip you apart and take you right here, right now, in front of all my subjects. I could chain you in my dungeons and feast on the splendor of your flesh while the suns rise and fall. I could lock you in an Oubliette and leave you to starve." He snarled at her, fang and all. Sarah's eyes widened to the point of pain and beamed hopelessly into his. His gaze was hooded in darkness, but the fire of his rage lit up the brilliant blue of his eyes. He was quiet for a moment, seeming to instantly calm from his sudden flare of outrage. Then, something in his eyes shifted, and if the hood was being drawn. "But I have not, I am not, and I will not. So, yes Sarah. You'll find that I do indeed have power over you and you would do well to remember this moment should you ever feel the need to threaten me with those words again." His sentiment held less fire, but it was still threatening all the same.

Sarah was sure that she was having some kind of out of body experience. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. All she could see was Jareth's face, burning into her. Was she in shock? Her mouth fought desperately to formulate some kind of response, but nothing came. She didn't know if it were seconds or minutes that ticked as they lay in that position, but as time past and they stared at one another, something in Jareth's demeanor changed yet again. His fingers tightened around her arms, making his grip uncomfortable but not quite painful. His expression softened and the fiery aura retreated around him, only to condense within his eyes, and he sighed.

Sarah blinked. It was like the retraction of his burning rage was the button that needed to be pushed in order to resume play on Sarah's brain. She took a breath, her chest expanding up against his and she curled her tongue as if to speak.

"I-I-" She managed to get out, before being viciously cut off by Jareth's mouth pressing hard into hers. Sarah gasped and shrieked, trying uselessly to recoil from his invasion.

Jareth's mouth sieged and claimed Sarah's with brutal savagery. His strong and skilled tongue pried open Sarah's blind-sighted lips and quickly began devouring. He gripped her arms tighter and pushed his body flush against hers. Sarah wriggled within what space she had left, but with no avail. His tongue whirled around hers, coaxing it into some kind of movement as he started biting down on her lips. Sarah continued to shriek and cry out, but the pleas were left muffled and trapped within Jareth's ravenous mouth.

He kissed and kissed and kissed, forever it seemed. And then suddenly, Sarah felt her tongue twinge against his and her eyes blazed anew when she realized it was of her own accord. With new found strength she feverishly fought against him like her life depended on it. _NO. This is fucked up. Do not kiss him back Sarah!_ Her inner voice screamed. Jareth snarled into her, releasing her arms to take hold of the sides of her face -keeping her in place.

Sarah's hands immediately started pushing at his chest, and she huffed into his mouth with the unsuccessful strain. She then snaked them around his back, hoping she could claw him hard enough to distract him. She dug her fingers into the muscular flesh of his back and scratched. It certainly had an effect, but not the one she was hoping for.

Jareth growled into her, and pushed his hips harder into hers. She could feel him throbbing against her thigh and shuddered. She grabbed and clawed at his biceps, huffing and puffing in frustration while he continued to pillage and plunder her poor vulnerable mouth.

"I know there's a part of you that likes this..." He growled into her lips. Sarah whined against him. "I'm not the one moving your tongue, Sarah. I can feel you writhing. I can smell your need..." Under any other circumstances, the sensual intoxication of his voice would have been a welcome treat, but not now and not ever if Sarah had her way.

Sarah grunted and groaned as she continued to push against him.

"I'm not writhing - I'm struggling -get -off -of -me." She managed to say between twirls of his tongue. Jareth smiled against her.

"You don't mean that." He whispered arrogantly. Sarah brought her hands to his clavicles and gave him one last push.

"Yes. I. Do." She snarled, biting down on his lower lip. Jareth growled in the back of his throat and pulled away from her.

"Such a tenacious little thing, aren't you?" He asked sardonically with a gasp and a deep breath, recovering from his onslaught. Sarah scowled her most scowling scowl.

"So you're going to rape me, is that it? You kidnapped me just so you could 'rip me apart and take me' to your heart's content?" She hissed up to him. Jareth gave an amused huff and the start of a smirk.

"No, you precious thing. I think you'll come to find our union will be most consensual." He answered with arrogant prowess. Sarah felt her eyes narrow and another wave of rage start to surface when he suddenly moved off of her, taking her hand and pulling her with him as he stood. "Besides, if all I wanted was to steal your virtue I would have taken you right there on the finish line." He added. Sarah gave an involuntary blush. _NO. STOP. You're angry. You hate him. Don't let him make you blush! _Her conscience screamed. "Tell me you didn't want me to." He dared, locking his eyes with hers. Sarah gulped down a breath. _ Shit._ He was right, she had wanted him to take her then. It was amazing how quickly things could turn to total shit...

"If you don't want to 'steal my virtue', then why do you want me?" She asked, surprised by the resolve in her own voice. Hmm, she thought she'd be freaking out more. Jareth gave a small laugh.

"I have no desire to steal your burgeoning innocence, my dear, because quite frankly you're going to give it to me willingly." He spoke with pure highhandedness. Sarah grimaced and took a step away from him.

"A bit cocky don't you think? Seeing how you've just taken away my entire life, my family, and everything I love, I don't think I'll be conceding to give myself to you at any point in time within the next hundred years." She hissed at him, folding her arms across her chest and turning her nose up at him. Jareth gave a sideways smirk.

"We have all of eternity, Sarah. One hundred years is hardly any time at all." Sarah's head darted up to him. He was really so sure in thinking Sarah would just give in to-to what? His evil smile? His dazzling charms? His saint-like generosity? Fat chance.

"I may have to add a few extra zeros to that." Sarah corrected, looking away but glaring at him out of the corner of her eye. _ How arrogant can he be? Does he really think I'll just swoon over him after he fucking kidnapped me? I have to stay here -forever. He said I deserved a place in his kingdom, what he really meant was I deserved a notch in his bedpost. Is that what this is all about? He just wants me as a...a sex slave? Is that it? _ She mentally scoffed. _ But he's not going to force me...he thinks I want him. Maybe an hour or so ago, but if he thinks I want him now then -Pff, he is sorely mistaken. I will not give it up to him after what he's done. _ She didn't notice the extended silence that stretched as she openly brooded.

"I'm glad to see you've managed to calm down a bit." Jareth's voice rang through Sarah's heated thoughts. Sarah turned her head and glared, momentarily forgetting she was still standing in the middle of the throne room.

"I wouldn't say that." She snapped. Jareth smirked and held out a hand.

"Come, it's late." He said, back to being all nice and genuine. Sarah furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She snapped again. She expected Jareth to be angry again, but he merely cocked his head to one side and gave her half a smirk.

"Now you're just being childish." He taunted, curling his fingers in a signal for her to just shut up and take his hand. Sarah straightened her back and turned away from him. "Really? Pouting? I hope you realize that I _will _come get you, and no matter how much you fight me, you will like it." He teased and warned all at once. Sarah ground her teeth and turned back to him. She didn't take his hand, simply approaching him instead. _Well...there's no where for me to really run to...and he's right...I don't want him to come get me..._

Jareth donned a happy and sated expression with the victory of her relative compliance. His eyes beamed down to her as hers burned up to him.

"Turn around." He commanded. Sarah's nose crinkled and she snarled a bit.

"Ask me nicely." She countered. Jareth raised an amused brow and a large disbelieving smile captured his lips.

"Very well. Sarah, would you be so kind as to turn and face away from me?" Jareth asked with annunciated sarcasm. It was like he was compromising with a child. Sarah rolled her eyes in a look of detachment.

"Turn around and not look at you? Oh, with pleasure." She said, just as sarcastically.

Sarah turned in her spot until she was facing directly away from him, her arms still folded tightly over her chest. Jareth inched closer to her, but made no physical contact. A shiver ran up Sarah's spine, she could feel the heat from his chest against her back.

"Close your eyes." He whispered just over her ear. Sarah twitched at his unexpected proximity, but kept her eyes wide open.

Jareth watched from the corner of her eye and huffed. He really had no patience for this. He backed his head away from her ear and darted a hand up to Sarah's face, effectively covering up her eyes. Sarah jolted and fought against him, but he only tightened his grip, pushing her head back against his chest and holding her there with no effort at all.

"You're really starting to try my patience, Sarah." He said, and then released her.

* * *

Sarah stumbled forward and realized she was no longer standing in the middle of the throne room. She straightened her back and turned a full 360, taking everything in as fast as she could.

They were in a bedroom. It was large and spacious. As she looked around she found herself standing in what she guessed to be a small parlor area. There were several couches and chairs scattered around side and coffee tables. There was a book shelf on one wall, filled to the brim. The stone of the walls was a pale grey, and all the furniture was made of a dark -almost black- wood and was cushioned with rich green and gold velvet. Further into the room she saw a white marble fire place with a huge thick rug placed in front of it. The last section of the room contained a bed. It was large -overly large, and made of the same dark wood as the furniture. It was done up in dark purple blankets and what had initially registered to her as wolf pelts (though she highly doubted the Underground had wolves). There were heavy dark purple velvet curtains that hung all around, framing the long and tall dressers that lined the walls surrounding the bed.

Sarah's heart fell into her stomach. This was a bedroom, a very lavish -nice looking bedroom. Was it Jareth's? The thought made her sick. There was no way she was sharing his bed. She whirled around to face him.

Jareth leaned against a bare section of wall, and seemed to be scanning over the room just as Sarah had been, only he didn't look one bit interested in anything he saw. He was waiting for her to react.

"Where are we?" Sarah asked, though she tried to demand. The fear of sharing Jareth's chambers was quickly engulfing her. Jareth shifted in his spot against the wall.

"At first glance, I believe it would appear to be a bedroom, Sarah." He mocked, though tried to keep his tone serious -mocking her further. Sarah scowled. Did he really need to keep fucking with her like this?

"let me guess, you expect me to sleep here?" She asked, cocking her head to one side. Jareth rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively through the air, stepping away from the wall.

"Unless you would prefer sleeping in the throne room." He said, moving his way past her and further into the room. Her cautious eyes followed. "I believe you are able to figure most of this out for yourself?" He asked, glancing back at her over his shoulder. Sarah's eyes roamed slowly over the room once more. "The fire will stay sparked so long as you want it to." His tone had changed to that of a CEO explaining procedure and mandates. "The door in the far right leads to a washroom, and the dressers are already filled with clothing. Before you rebut, let me note that I would be more than happy to have you parade around, clad only in your dignity, so don't try me. Think you can manage?" He turned to face her at the end of his sentence. His hands were clasped behind his back and he stood tall and certain. Sarah, on the other hand, glared at him with her head dipped low and her shoulders slumped. Yes, she was pouting, she had every reason to.

"I think I'm capable enough." She muttered, standing her ground as Jareth approached her. He dipped his head low to hers and gave her a sly smile.

"Let me know if I can be of any assistance." He said cheekily. Sarah thought he might try to kiss her then, and was preparing to bite off his tongue when he instead straightened himself up and made no action toward her. In lieu of Sarah's presumption, Jareth instead walked right past her -to a door she hadn't seen before. He turned the knob and paused, turning back to face her with a soft, almost melancholy expression on his face. "Oh, and Sarah, I'm very happy to see you again." He said. And then he was gone, passing through the door and into the darkness. The lock clicked shut behind him, leaving Sarah alone in a strange room in a strange castle with a wicked man and a new life.

* * *

Jareth entered his chambers with the swagger of a man who'd just conquered the world. He strolled from one end to the other, passing the flickering hearth and the shadowed figure that sat beside it.

"It's a bit late for a visit, don't you think?" He asked the wind. He stopped at the foot of his bed, and started to pull the end of his shirt from the waist of his pants and shuck it over his head, not paying any attention to the being that was occupying his space.

"I see you were victorious..." Said a voice -light and feminine. Jareth sat on the edge of the bed and leisurely pulled off his boots one at a time.

"Though I can assume you're not here to congratulate me?" He asked, walking over to a dresser and pulling out a pair of sleep pants.

"You were sure to waste no time indeed." The woman answered. Jareth peered up, and saw the delicate highlight of her hand tapping irritably against the arm of the chair.

"There is none to be wasted." He retorted, after removing his pants to replace them with his pajamas, pulling them up to hang languidly off his hips.

"I find myself surprised she came so willingly. I thought it would take you another day at the least." Said the woman, trying to hide the sarcasm in her voice. She was not happy.

"I can be very persuasive should the need be." He asserted, stalking valiantly to join the woman in an opposite chair beside the fire.

"I can feel her pain, Jareth." The woman's voice was weak and woeful. Jareth glared at the flickering profile of the woman and leaned back in his chair.

"It will soon pass." He said. The woman darted her head up to him and burned him with the fire in her stare.

"I will not let you harm her." She boomed, her voice seeming to echo through the space around them. Jareth quirked a brow at her, his relaxed disposition becoming more attentive.

"Why can't you just be happy for me? I'm one step closer to claiming my bride." He said. The woman turned to face him fully.

"This isn't a game Jareth." Her soft angelic voice was as close to a growl as it would ever become. A darkness fell over Jareth's eyes, and he leaned forward in his seat. His gaze was a bubbling cauldron of dangerous prowling.

"Yes. This is." He said, his voice cold stone. "You knew what would happen, and you know you can do nothing." He fought back a snarl. The woman took a breath and settled her anger. He was right. No matter her frustrations, in this she was powerless against him.

"As I said, I will not let you harm her." The woman's voice was low and cryptic -unmoving. Jareth's eyes narrowed further.

"You played your game, keeping her secret and hidden away. But now that is over. It's my turn to play. She had your protection -protection which she superseded to me when she agreed to come back. She willingly gave me power over her, effectively taking it away from you. I will do exactly as I wish and you can not lift a finger to stop me. The only power you have lies within her. Must I really explain this?" He snarled at her, gripping the arms of his chair to help restrain his anger. The woman sat tall, and stared down at the Goblin King with stark dominance.

"This game has just begun, My King. And rest assured, things are not what they seem." Echoed her ominous warning. Both beings fell silent as the mysterious woman then flickered away between flame and shadow.

* * *

Sarah stood, teetering from toe to toe as she warily gazed around the room. She was sure a long time had passed, but she just couldn't bring herself to believe Jareth was really gone. After about twenty minutes or so, so declared the area safe and gave her feet the ability to move.

While she was looking around, she'd spotted yet another doorway, close the one Jareth had exited through. She quietly padded her way across the stone floor and leaned up against it. If Jareth had gone through the other door, than it must lead to a hallway. So, where did this door lead? She gently took hold of the handle, conscious that it may be tripped wired or something, and slowly turned it. She wasn't exactly too surprised to find it was locked, but it left her wondering -what was on the other side? She then turned to the door Jareth had used and repeated the process, though this time she heard the lock click and slowly eased it open, careful of its creaking hinges. She peered through the doorway. It was dark -total blackness in fact. She couldn't tell if it led to a room or a corridor. She found herself curious as to why this door was open and the other door wasn't, but it was short lived due to the eerie feeling of unsettledness that creeped from the empty blackness of whatever lie beyond the door. She quickly shut the door and stepped away from it. Where did it lead?

Sarah turned away from the double set of doors and treaded into the room. The fire was glowing, and cast a small radius of heat that just reached her toes as she walked by. She then found herself halted by the dominating presence of the purple and black bed. She gave a small sigh of relief. _At least I get my own room...I don't have to sleep with him..._ She tried to be optimistic, that's all she could do for the moment.

She glanced to the right and saw the door that Jareth had said led to a bathroom. She looked to the left, and saw an assortment of dressers. There was a small desk, with a tall and elegant vanity mirror squished between two armoires. She felt a lump in her throat as she approached it.

Sarah sat perched on the edge of the dainty stool that waited beside the vanity. She sat in front of the mirror -and just stared. She then reached out a placed a hand flat against the glass. _I wonder if I can still talk to Hoggle... _she tilted her head as she stared, contemplating the idea. _Hoggle, Ludo, Didymus...they're all here. What if I could contact them? Could they save me somehow? _ A small surge of hope flashed through her psyche, but soon bottomed out once her pesky voice of reason chimed in. _Even if you could contact them, they wouldn't be able to help you. They don't have powers like Jareth, you'd only be putting them in danger. You were all lucky he didn't execute or banish them all last time..._

Sarah's shoulders slumped. Would she ever see her friends again? They were so close now...and they had no idea Sarah was here. After a minute, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out the tiny wooden box Hoggle had given her, and remembered the sore spot it left from when Jareth had thrown her to the ground. To her relief, it wasn't broken. She opened the tiny contraption with nimble fingers and pulled out the folded photo inside. She opened it, and placed it flat on the desk, fanning her hands over it to remove its creases as best she could. She then held the image up, and took a hard look, and then tucked the corner into the frame of the mirror -like it had been in her mirror back home.

Sarah's hands fell limp in her lap, and she stared blankly at the happy family she would never see again. Her lip had started to tremble, but no tears came. _Everything happened so fast... _ She thought. _How could I have let this happen? _ She asked herself, knowing there wasn't a God damned thing she could have done about it. She frowned deeply as she thought over everything that had happened in the past hour. _ How could I be so stupid? How could I think he would ever just swoop down and be -nice? All he does is pull tricks and play games...what is he trying to pull with me? Why the hell am I even here! _

Sarah gruffed and flailed her arms out on the table, disgusted with both Jareth and herself. _ To think I would fantasize about him! He's not a magical dream come true, he's a monster! How could I actually kiss him back just now! He said he knew I wanted it...he smelled it on me... NO. He was just trying to fuck with you Sarah. Anything he thought was response was just me trying to fight him off, and anything else is just bodily reaction, something I can't consciously control._ She tried to rationalize. She frowned further, knowing that no matter how much she scolded herself -deep down, she knew the truth. She still was attracted to him, very much so in fact. _How can that be? After what he's done, what he threatened to do, how is it I'm not completely repulsed by him?_ Again, she consoled herself by saying that it was just a physical attraction and that had nothing to do with the fact that she now hated his very existence.

"Urrggghhhh." She groaned, clawing her hands into her hair.

Unable to deal with anymore of her ridiculous thoughts, Sarah stood from the vanity and practically stomped over to one of the mighty dressers. Peering inside, she found one to be filled with long elegant evening dresses of various colors and fabrics. In another, she found more casual wear -lesser dresses and even some shirts and pants. Next was a long dresser. The top drawer held a wide array of undergarments -slips, socks, underwear, bras even. The next drawer was filled with lace and bone corsets. They were intricate, and verrry sexy. She gulped and shut the drawer. She didn't want to think about wearing those. The last drawer held what she was looking for -nightwear. Most of what she found was either too thin, or too short. She scowled and scoffed, not questioning that Jareth had probably hand picked everything that would give him satisfaction in making her feel uncomfortable. _Why is he so sexual this time around? My dreams are one thing but...has he always been this way? Did I just never realize it? _ She wondered, taking note at the way he ogled her on the track and how he'd mouth raped her in the thrown room. _ Why did he do that?_ It was so uncalled for, so -out of the moment, for her anyway. Why was she even concerning herself over Jareth's confusing advances? If she knew what was good for her she wouldn't think about it at all. She was supposed to be hating him.

As she dug through the drawer, Sarah was happy to find a decent length, cotton and lace nightgown. She held it out in front of her and frowned -again- recalling Jareth's words about her refusing to wear the clothing he'd given her. If she wasn't so sure he really would make her parade around clad in nothing but her dignity, she would do just that. But, as her dignity preferred itself to be modest and well clothed, she gave in.

* * *

Time started to tick, as Sarah lay wide awake, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep. Not now, not tonight...not in this bed...not in this world. She sighed and rolled into her side, gripping her pillow like it might try to run away from her. She gazed out a window that had been cut out of the right wall, she hadn't really paid much attention to its presence before, but right now, the moon was at just the perfect hight to cast blue and silver beams into the room that danced with the slow movement of Underground clouds. She caught herself wondering if this was the same moon she would stare at from her bedroom window night after night. It looked so much bigger here, so much closer.

Her gaze darted from one twinkling star to the next, and soon her eyes started to grow heavy. And as she felt the shroud of her eyelids blacken out the world around her, a lone and haunting thought came creeping through the dreary depths of her mind. _ If he already has me...what else does he want?_


	5. The Power Of Persuasion

**A/N- Hello all. I know it's been a while, but I journeyed to a far away land with no wifi access, so I've had to wait. Hope you enjoy. =)**

* * *

Chapter 5, The Power Of Persuasion

* * *

Sarah groaned in her sleep, shaken from her slumber by dark dreams of mismatched eyes and festering peaches. She scowled, then clenched her eyes tighter and snuggled her cheek into the soft fabric she rested on. Consciousness creeped behind her eyelids and brought the sharp sting of morning light along with it. No, it wasn't morning already. She groaned again and clawed her fingers mercilessly into the pillow she was clinging to. She squeezed it tight to her, hanging on to the haven of slumber for just a little while longer. She took a deep breath, and relaxed as something warm and heavenly flooded her senses. She exhaled slowly, hugged her pillow, and wrapped a leg around it. Just as she was about to relax her grip, she froze and her breath formed a rock in her throat.

Her pillow, it was soft...but it was hard. And her leg, how could she be draping her leg over it? There weren't any full length pillows on the bed. She paused, and then her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach when she realized her so-called pillow was moving. Fighting off her rising panic, she slowly tilted her head skyward, and fluttered her eyes open as she scanned over the thing she was clinging so vigorously to.

Jareth was awaiting her gaze.

"You pout in your sleep. I find myself wondering if it's a natural habit, or if it's because you were dreaming of me." Jareth's voice was low and full of victory.

Sarah's eyes widened exponentially, and she gulped down the rock in her throat as her eyes scanned over her situation in a nanosecond. Jareth was laying on the bed, with both hands resting behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankle. He wore a white poet's shirt and those oh-so-familiar grey pants of his. He was peering down at her, giving her the most sated, lopsided grin she'd ever seen. All the muscles in Sarah's face tensed, this was no pillow.

Her face burned a fiery red with both rage and embarrassment. She was clinging to him. She was stuck on, no, full on wrapped around Jareth the Goblin King -the man who'd kidnapped and was now holding her hostage. Her face had been nuzzled into his chest, one hand griped the frilly neck of his shirt while her leg had hooked itself around his thigh. She gasped and jumped away.

"What the hell are you doing!" She yelped, her voice squeaking one octave too high, and fighting frantically to regain her equilibrium. She fumbled to the other side of the bed. Jareth's grin was unmoving and he cocked his head to one side, just slightly.

"Waiting for you to wake up." He said, full of morning cheer. Sarah's feet dug into the layers of blankets. She reached out for a pillow, and held it close to her chest like a shield. Jareth cocked a challenging brow in her direction. "You're quite handsy in your sleep, Sarah. It was quite the unexpected treat." He added with a small laugh. Sarah's scowl was close to a snarl.

"Don't touch me." She growled at him. Jareth rolled his head back against a pillow.

"I believe it was you who was touching me, Sarah dear." The light in his smile let those far and near know just how much fun he was having at her expense. Sarah gripped the pillow tighter and darted her eyes around the room. She needed to find her balance before she could continue their confrontation.

"I can't be held responsible for anything I do while unconscious." She said, though her voice was little more than a mumble. Jareth huffed and sat up.

"I'll bear that in mind for next time." He murmured, and rose from the bed. He didn't give her a second glance. _ Next time!? Like hell there will be a next time! _ She roared inside.

"What are you doing here." She demanded, eyeing him suspiciously as he rounded the corner of the bed. Jareth stopped, raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that shouted -_Really? Are you're seriously asking me what I'm doing here?_ -. Sarah gaped awkwardly, and he waited for his look to fully sink in before responding.

"I came to wake you. We have a big day ahead of us." He answered nonchalantly, while fidgeting with the ruffled cuffs of his shirt, and effectively breaking through the tension. Sarah's brow drew.

"What?" She asked in disbelief. Jareth rose his eyebrows in exasperation before looking up to her.

"Believe it or not, Sarah, it is not my intention to keep you locked up in a tower for the rest of your life. I let you sleep as long as I could, now get up and bathe." He scolded, and narrowed his eyes on her to let her know he was serious.

"What_ is _your intention then?" She snapped, her backbone grew a little stronger with new found consciousness. There was a flash of a grin on Jareth's lips.

"Right now, it is for you to make yourself ready for the day." He answered. Sarah glared.

"And what if I don't want to be ready for the day?" She retorted petulantly, knowing full well how childish she was being. Jareth sneered something dark, and paused in his step.

"In that case, I would be more than happy to drag you across this room and bathe you myself, Sarah. You should be grateful I'm offering you the opportunity to go without my -assistance." He said, annunciating the words as they rolled off his tongue.

Sarah sat, perched up on her knees and hugged her pillow like a lifeline as she thought over Jareth's threat. Her eyes narrowed and roamed from him to the door in question. Did she trust him to keep his word? Hell no. He'd probably poof right in just as she shucked off her nightgown. Jareth rolled his eyes. This was taking too long.

"As I said last night, Sarah, I will come get you." He said with a small snarl, urging her along. Sarah's head darted back to him, and she glared with pouted lips before scampering away from his wandering eyes to disappear behind the confine of the bathroom door.

* * *

Sarah closed the door behind her and leaned against it with a quiet thud, huffing and puffing like she'd just ran a marathon. Jareth's wake up call was like a cheap shot to her psyche. She needed to reconfigure and reboot. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, relieved that there was now a small barrier between them. After letting out a sigh, she looked up and examined the bathroom for the first time.

The entire room was made of a carved orangish-pink marble. There was a sink, a toilet, some vanity tables, closets, clothing racks and other such furniture that would usually be found in a bathroom; and it was all made of welded bronze. She looked around from side to side, mildly confused. During her initial scan, she'd failed to see a bathtub. As she scanned the room for a second time, her eyes caught on something moving in the far center of the room -steam.

Sarah tilted her head and stepped further into the room to examine the source of the rising waves of steam -she found the tub. In the center of the room, there was a large circular tub cut out of, -or set into- the floor, with a step or two that led down into it. It was already filled to the brim. It reminded her of a Jacuzzi. She crinkled her nose at it. Looking over her shoulder, she spied a towel rack and pulled one of its fluffy layers free and set it on the floor beside the rim of the tub. She paused, and looked down to her toes and then back at the door. She really didn't want to be naked with Jareth no more than ten feet away. Her brow sagged with worry as she gazed at the now looming door, but was drawn from her daze by a loud and obnoxious ticking emanating from directing in front of her. She turned her head around to be met face to face with a very familiar floating clock. She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"I'm going, I'm going." She groaned, and swooshed away the clock as she rolled her eyes again.

With a snarl etched on her lips, she ripped the nightgown up and over her shoulders and sank into the murky depths, sending a loud splash of water across the floor in all directions. Wasting no time -in fear of Jareth getting bored and wanting to check up on her- she quickly washed her hair and body with soaps and shampoos that just so happened to be waiting for her on the rim of the tub. _Is he watching me from out there?_ She tried not to think about it.

She jumped out of the bath in record time, and was a little impressed with her own haste. She wrung out her hair and wrapped the fluffy white towel tight around her body. She looked up and was met by her steamy reflection in one of the many mirrors and realized she hadn't brought any clothes in with her. Her heart dropped for a second time as she realized she'd have to go out and face Jareth once more -naked this time. She looked around the room, hoping to don her nightgown -of course, it was gone. She clenched her teeth and inhaled deeply, seeing no other option than to face Jareth in nothing but a wet towel.

* * *

The knob turned with a slow creak, and the hinges wailed obnoxiously as she reluctantly inched the door open. She poked her head out first, clutching her towel like someone was about to pull it away from her, and for all she knew, there was. She took a step around the door, and spied Jareth lounging in a chair between the bed and the fire place. His jaw rested on his knuckles. He didn't look up, seemingly distracted with being bored.

Silently, Sarah tip-toed around the bed and towards the line of wardrobes, catching Jareth's sly gaze follow her along the way. She stopped and turned to him.

"Um, could I have some privacy?" She tried to ask nicely, but failed. Jareth looked up at her -feigning innocence- and brushed his index finger along his lips, knowing her eyes would follow.

"No." He said, and waited for her next move. She glared and let out a hard sigh, then turned away from him and flung open the doors to the armoire. She stared on in quiet contemplation.

_Hmmm...dresses, dresses, dresses, and more dresses...there's no way I'm wearing a dress around him... _And just as she mumbled the thought, her eyes caught on what looked to be a pair of trousers. They were brown, and stretchy, similar style to Jareth's no doubt. She then spied a lacy white shirt that looked suspiciously like Jareth's usual and plucked that as well. After a quick dip into the bra and panties drawer in one of the dressers, the look was completed with a pair of brown leather boots that she'd found in the bottom of the armoire. With one last glare at Jareth -who was waiting ever so patiently- she and her pile of things scuttled back into the bathroom. She emerged five minutes later with brushed damp hair and an outfit pulled straight out of Peter Pan, feeling victorious and ready to take on all of the Underground.

Jareth looked up with the same innocently bored expression he'd been exuding, and was still tracing a finger along his lips, intentionally giving no reaction to Sarah's hands-on-hips stance of self-satisfaction. His eyes roamed from her frilly white shirt all the way to her knee high boots. He'd expected as much.

"Interesting choice." He mumbled apathetically and stood from his eased back position in the chair. He took a step in her direction and held out a hand to her. "Come." He ordered. Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, and planted a foot firmly into the stone floor.

"Where are we going?" She demanded rather than asked. Jareth's ears twitched, he didn't take to being ordered.

"It's a surprise." He hissed, his stance becoming tense. Sarah puffed up her shoulders.

"I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me where." She pouted. Jareth fought a snarl. She hadn't even been there a full day and already she was carving an irritating niche into his brain.

"I don't answer to you." He snapped, giving Sarah a clear confirmation that she'd struck a nerve against his Kingly pride. His reaction made her feel empowered.

"And you can't tell me what to do." She snapped back, growing more and more gall by the minute. Jareth took a deep breath, and she watched as his head lowered and his shoulders tensed like a snake coiling to strike.

"Yes, yes I can." He said, holding back a hiss with sheer exasperation.

In a flash, he reached out and took hold of one one Sarah's wrists, and pulled it out from her. Sarah jerked reflexively and pulled away, only to have her free arm caught as well.

"So defiant..." He started to rumble. "But, defiance for the sake of defiance is just obnoxious, Sarah, and becomes tiresome very quickly." Jareth said, holding her arms far and wide as she continued to snarl and flail.

"I told you not to fucking touch me! Let me go! Get your fucking hands off of me!" She screamed through gritted teeth. Jareth closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.

"Ah, and then there's that sharp tongue of yours..." He continued, and brought both her wrists together to hold in one of his hands while the other tightened around her jaw. He opened his eyes slowly and locked them onto hers. "I care little for such vulgarity, Sarah. And it really is quite unbecoming of a lady." He lectured. Sarah's nostrils flared with rage and her eyes burned with fury as he then released both her hands and face and took half a step away, frowning at her with distaste. A roaring fireball rampaged in Sarah's chest. _How dare he lecture me!_ She screamed.

"First off, I'm not a _Lady_, I'm a teenage girl who was just kidnapped by a psychopathic fairy-tale madman and I'll use as much God damned vulgarity as I want!" She roared, breathing mental fire at him. Jareth gave her a cold stare.

"And here I thought age made you all the wiser; though I must be mistaken because it would seem your years away have only caused your maturity to diminish." He said, condescendingly. Sarah ground her teeth.

"I'm plenty mature, but you can be damn sure I'm going to do everything in my power to defy you in any way I can for the rest of my God forsaken life. So, if that means swearing like a sailor, then I'll take that victory." She snarled, and then proceeded to embark on a very long and very loud rant and rave, spouting words and phrases that really shouldn't ever be repeated. The fire burgeoning in her chest was slowly clouding her eyes, making her blind to the subtle actions of the Goblin King.

Jareth lowered his gaze and shook his head as Sarah continued to spout _fuck _this or _fuck_ that. He reached into the cuff of his shirt and pulled out a long purple scarf. Sarah registered the movement, but was too caught up to react to it. Jareth sighed.

"Sarah..." He warned, and gripped the thin fabric between his fingers. He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head again when she didn't stop. After another second, he rose his hands and tossed the loose material directly at her face.

Sarah's eyes widened once she felt the scarf make contact with her face, and immediately brought her hands to to tear it away. She gasped when the scarf tightened...and hissed. With her eyes practically jumping out of her head, Sarah's hands clawed at the sleek black scales of the snake that was wringing itself around her mouth as she fell back off of her feet and onto the bed. Muffled yelps and screams of panic escaped through the constricting bands tightening around her mouth, and she flailed and jerked across the bed, sending waves of sheets and blankets up in the air and all around.

Jareth stood like a statue, his gaze dark and smoldering, as he watched Sarah wriggle in a panic on the bed in front of him. A few minutes past, and just enough of Sarah's fear subsided to allow her rational to come to the conclusion that the snake was not going to bite her or break her jaw, and so she started to relax. Jareth continued to breath slow and heavy as he waited for her to settle down.

"If you would try the temper of a man who holds the power to bend reality, then I may have to call into question your intelligence as well." He rumbled, glaring at her. Something in Jareth's words gave her the ability to focus, and so she stopped squirming and sat up on her knees, and let out a hard sigh through her nose, returning his glare. Each were silent as they broodingly regarded one another. The seconds seemed to stretch on forever.

"Are you finished?" Jareth asked, finally. Sarah narrowed her eyes, and nodded slowly. Jareth rolled his eyes, and the snake fell from her face, and returned to being the dark purple scarf it had once been.

Sarah sat, immobile, glaring viciously at the Goblin King while knotting the scarf in her hands.

"I'll have no more volatility coming out of that pouting little mouth of yours. Do you understand?" Jareth snarled, dark and menacingly. Sarah's chest puffed, and she bit the inside of her cheek, but otherwise remained quiet. Jareth held his hand out to her once more. "Now, let's try this again. Sarah?" He beaconed. Sarah's eyes darted down to his hand, then back up to his face. She stood to her feet, and instead of accepting his offer, placed the slinky scarf in his palm, and stood off to the side. Jareth's scowl cracked up in a smirk, and he took a step passed her and towards the bed. Sarah's eyes followed suspiciously.

Without a word, Jareth bent down and tied the scarf around one of the posts of the bed. Sarah furrowed her brow.

"What are you doing?" She asked him. Jareth straightened himself up and turned back to her, his light and cheery mood returning to him.

"Well, I certainly don't want it. Think of it as a keepsake...or a reminder." He said ominously, but with a creeping grin. Sarah eyed him, keeping her distance as he moved passed her. Though it wasn't far enough, as Jareth's hand clamped down on her wrist as he strolled by and pulled her behind him. Sarah stumbled and winced as she tried to match his pace. She stared at the back of his head with a worrying brow. Maybe he was still angry.

* * *

Jareth dragged Sarah through the set of rooms towards the pair of doors she'd been confronted with the previous night, and his grip loosened once they entered the hallway. Sarah made note that they exited through the door that was locked when she'd tried opening it last night. _ This one leads to the hall? And it was locked last night? Where does the other one lead? Why was that one unlocked?_ She wondered as he dragged her passed it in a flash. The hall was dark and haunting. Unwillingly, Sarah scampered close to Jareth's side, unsettled by the echoing snickers of Goblins and God knows what else looming throughout the corridor. Jareth released her wrist to hold her at the elbow once she was at his side.

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked, timidly -Jareth's warning about trying the temper of a man who could bend reality came to mind.

"Lots of places." Jareth answered, and looked straight ahead.

"What do you mean?" She asked, just as timidly.

"I'm giving you a tour." He answered. Sarah noticeably relaxed with his answer. Jareth's gaze lowered to watch her from the corner of his eye.

"Of the castle?" She asked, sounding so sweet and innocent. Jareth actually smiled in the dim light. Maybe she was amenable after all. He'd have to throw snakes at her more often.

"Yes." He said. Sarah looked up to him, actually able to hear the smile on his lips. "I told you, it is not my intention to keep you locked up in a tower. You'll be venturing in and out of these rooms at one point or another; and it will give me piece of mind to have shown you before hand exactly what it is you venture in and out of." He added. Sarah continued to gaze at him, confounded.

"Wait...I'm free to roam around the castle?" She asked, testing the theory. Jareth huffed, and came to an abrupt halt outside a large wooden door. He turned on his heel and lowered his gaze to meet hers, a small mischievous smile haunted his face.

"Does that surprise you?" He asked, mockingly. Sarah frowned, and looked to the floor. Jareth's sneer only grew. "Contrary to any presumptions you may have, you're not a slave here, Sarah." He said, his voice was both soft and amused. Sarah's brow continued to worry. _If I'm not your slave..why have you taken me here?_ She wondered.

* * *

Jareth's tour of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City was mind-boggling. There were so many floors, so many rooms, so many -unnecessary rooms. They traveled in and out of various lounges, dens, studies, kitchens, bedrooms, bath halls, dance halls, dining halls, and entertainment rooms. Those she understood, those kinds of rooms were practical -though why he needed twenty different ones of each, she didn't know. What she didn't understand was the room that was nothing but floating upside-down umbrellas, or the room that was a black and white checkered pattern that twisted into a vortex that stretched on forever, or the room where once you walked in you were somehow standing on the ceiling looking down at everything. What were these rooms used for? What was the point? On and on they went, for hours it seemed. Sarah stayed close to his side. She had to, as he gripped her hand hard and pulled her in every time she strayed too far. At times she didn't mind, certain parts of the castle were dark and decrepit. It made her jittery and anxious. As they wandered into one room after another, he would offer a brief and stale explanation for each room, and Sarah sucked in his words like a vacuum. She needed to learn as much about the castle as possible. Why was he explaining all this? Why offer her in-depth knowledge of the castle? Jareth paused at one point, and turned to her just as he was about to reach out for the next door.

"Let me warn you that there are certain rooms in castle you shouldn't enter alone." Jareth said, and eyed her sternly as he pushed open the door behind him. Sarah's brow drew, but before she could respond she was yanked from her confusion and pulled across the threshold into yet another strange room.

Sarah stood, looking up and all around. The room they were in -it was nothing. It really was nothing. There were no walls, no ceiling, and most peculiarly no floor. It was just...blank, a white void. She took a step away from Jareth, but his hand tightened around hers instantly and tugged her back to his side. She looked up to him, planning to glare, but was beaten to it once she saw the stone seriousness in Jareth's eyes burning down at her. She worried her brow and looked around the room once more.

"What is this place?" She asked, giving in to return Jareth's grip on her hand. He seemed tense all of the sudden. Was this room dangerous or something?

"It's nothing." Jareth responded. "There are dozens of rooms like this scattered throughout the castle. I haven't decided what to do with them yet, so for now they're clean slates -centers of raw magic waiting to be molded into reality." He explained. Sarah nodded like she had a clue as to what he was talking about, slowly fell into a daze as blank as the space around them. "Do not enter one of these rooms without me. Do you understand?" He asked suddenly, and squeezed her hand to the point of pain to implore her to look up at him. She winced and shot her head up.

"What will happen if I do?" She asked. Her eyes slowly fell to her feet standing on an absent floor. _How odd..._

"If I were to release your hand, you would fall into an oblivion for the rest of eternity." Jareth said. And like his words were a small jolt of electricity, Sarah practically jumped into his arms, though she was aiming for the door. Pleased that she was jumping towards him and not away from him, Jareth placed a hand on her back and ushered her out of the room and into the safety of the hall.

"Ok, stay away from blank white spaces. Anything else?" She asked, precariously backing away from him as far as he would let her. She was annoyed at the way he_ insisted _on holding her hand, but there was nothing she could really do about it.

"Yes, but we'll come to them when we come to them." He said, and turned to resume their walk down the lengthy hall.

* * *

At some point, the corridor turned dark, and dingy. A damp musk filled the air and smelled of something foul. Where were they going now? The end of the hall was marked by a shabby looking metal barred door that creaked and hissed as Jareth swung it on its hinges. Once they passed through it, their pace slowed substantially, and Jareth's grip on her arm was almost non-existent. Its absence made her worried.

It was dark, and a thin mist hovered in the air around them. She could hear the echoing drip of water, but it was too dark to see from where. As they walked, the hall started to widen, and the walls were lined with large cells with thick iron barred doors. She heard an echoing of voices from further down. Was some one screaming? Where the hell was he taking her? She frowned and stayed close to his side, actually missing the safety that came with his grasp.

She looked to her right and caught a dim flashing light out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head, and the light was soon followed by mangled and garbled screams. She jumped involuntarily and latched onto Jareth's arm. Soon, screams began to emanate from every direction, echoing and swirling around Sarah's ears in horrid twisting pain.

"Where are you taking me." She practically screamed, though it was from fear rather than anger for a change. Jareth gave a high-handed smirk, but looked straight ahead.

"Welcome to the dungeons." He said, and halted their walk. He turned to face the direction of the loudest scream. She could see shadows on the wall from around the corner. She didn't know what was happening, but she had an idea and quickly turned her head away. "Care to take a closer look?" He asked, thoroughly enjoying himself. Sarah gulped down her fear and glared up at him.

"If you're trying to scare me, it's working. And if you think this is some kind of joke, it's not funny." She said sharply. Jareth peered down at her with hooded eyes and a smug grin.

"Just showing you all my castle has to offer, Sarah." He said casually, though his undertone was clear. Sarah crossed her arms over her chest.

"This is a warning, I get it. Ok? Can we go now?" She asked irritably.

"These rooms don't always have to be used for pain, you know." He said, letting the words rumble off his tongue. Sarah's jaw tightened, and she felt the urge to flee, but there was no where to run.

"I'll bear that in mind the next time I see a Goblin locked in an iron maiden. Can we go now, please? You've made your point." Sarah asked, becoming more and more unsettled by the cries and screams of the poor prisoners. Jareth's lips twitched, and he took hold of her arm once more.

"You'd be surprised how far good manners can get you, Sarah. Come." He said, and pulled her through a door on the other side of the dungeon.

Sarah shivered once they returned to the familiar reddish stone of the corridor. She stared up at the back of Jareth's head menacingly. She wanted to glare at him. He'd done that on purpose. _ Ass._.

"How many rooms are in this castle? I feel like we've been walking for hours.." Sarah mumbled, mostly for the sake of distracting herself from the remaining echoes of the dungeon still ramming around in her brain, rather than because she actually wanted to know. She almost stumbled as she traveled hurriedly behind the Goblin King. He had a long stride.

"That's because we have been. And, we're not even half way through yet." He answered. Sarah gaped at the back of his head.

"What? Why is this place so big? You can't possibly use all these rooms. Like that umbrella room, what is the purpose of that?" She asked, voicing her confusion and minding her feet as she skipped up a small staircase behind him.

"Its purpose is that it is." He answered, sounding wise beyond his years. Sarah frowned, she didn't understand. "Things exist in your world for their practicality. Things exist in my world because they can." He elaborated, seeming to sense Sarah's turmoil. _Ok...so not making sense makes sense then? I guess that makes sense...hmmmm. _She pondered, and almost tripped into Jareth as he halted at the top of the stairs. "You remember the throne room." He chimed in. Sarah took a wide step around him and peered around the place where she was viciously assaulted the night before and cringed.

"Yes, I remember the throne room." She muttered, replaying her encounter with Jareth like a hologram against the stone floor. She nibbled her lower lip. Jareth glanced around unaffected, and turned his body slightly to point across the room towards a stone archway.

"I assume you remember that stairwell as well; it leads down to the main gate and passes through the great hall we went through earlier." He explained. Sarah turned, and drew her brow tight, remembering her stampede with Hoggle, Didymus, and Ludo all those years ago.

"You're showing me where the door is? Aren't you worried I'll try to escape?" She asked, and failed to see the smile that set on Jareth's lips.

"The key word in your question, Sarah, is _try_. Try all you may, but you will never escape me. No matter where you go, I will always be able to find you. So, no. I'm not worried." He said, sounding so smug with himself. Sarah pursed her lips at the archway. He was right, she could never really escape him. Should she even bother? She frowned, and her hand slowly rose to stroke along her stomach as she thought.

"Are you hungry?" Jareth asked, quirking an eyebrow at her abdomen. Sarah twitched from her daze and peered down at her hand, then up at Jareth.

"I'm not eating anything you give me. Against your better wishes, I do remember what happened last time." She said, staring him straight in the eye. A sly grin curled Jareth lips, and his eyes were suddenly alight once more.

"And what do you know of my wishes?" He chided her, his smile broadened as he spoke. "Come, I know what I can show you next." He said, and pulled on her elbow. Sarah gruffed. She didn't like being dragged around like a dog on a leash.

Jareth turned, and led Sarah back down the staircase. She paid close attention to all the dips and turns they took. Would she ever be able to remember all this? Much too suddenly, the pair stopped in front of a large door. Sarah leaned back on her heels and gaped. It had to be at least twenty feet high. With a low booming crackle, the door magically eased open, revealing an exquisitely large dining hall. _Wait...I thought he already showed me the dining hall? He has more than one?! What makes this one better than the other one exactly? _Sarah shook her head, baffled with his grandiose.

Without an explanation, Jareth continued to lead Sarah into the vast hall. The walls were white, with large pillars lining the sides. The ceiling was gold, and had a large painted mural of strange creatures enjoying the plunder of battle. The floor was white tiled marble, and clicked as their boots treaded across it. At the far end of the room (something of which Sarah could barely see) There looked to be a grand hearth, already ablaze. What was most notable was the overly large, overly long, dark wooden table that sat dominating in the smack dab center of the room. She tried counting the chairs as they walked past it. She got up to fifty seven by the time Jareth halted their stride, though she was sure she'd missed a few.

Sarah looked up. They were at the far end of the table, closest to the hearth. Jareth released her arm and pulled out a chair. Its slide across the marble echoed through the hall.

"Sit." He ordered, and rounded the corner to sit in the grand throne-like chair at the head of the table. Not wanting to be scolded by him, she did what she was told.

She sat in her designated chair and continued to gaze about the room. She could see smaller tables and chairs scatted amongst the pillars.

"So, what would you like to eat?" Jareth asked, and rested his forearms on the table as he leaned in to her. Sarah's back straightened.

"You're asking me what I want?" She asked, making it seem like he'd just hauled off and punched her in the face. Jareth huffed.

"It brings me such solace to know you think so little of me." He said mockingly, though there was a sharpness in his eyes. Sarah was silent, regarding him shrewdly. After a moment, Jareth sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you prefer to eat. So, if I bring you something I know you'll like, there will be no excuse why you can't eat it. Incidentally, accusing me of poisoning your food or drugging it is moot as well. If I wanted you dead, you would be. And if I wanted to get inside your head again, I would be. Now, I'll ask you again, what would you like to eat?" His stare was unmoving as he spoke. Sarah frowned slightly, and tried her best not to pout. He was scolding her again. Why did he make her feel like such a child? Why did he make her act like one?

"Fair enough. I'll have a cheeseburger. Oh, and you can stop chastising me at any time, you know." Sarah said, and eyed him coldly. Jareth's stern stare cracked up in a smirk, and without taking his eyes off hers, he raised a hand in the air and snapped his fingers. A moment later, a Goblin came scuttling through a servant door carrying a silver plater. It rushed over, bowed before Jareth, placed the platter on the table before Sarah, bowed once more and ran off. Sarah gave it a quizzical eye.

There was silence as Sarah brought her narrowed eyes from the once present Goblin to the platter before her, and low and behold there was cheeseburger and fries waiting for her. She almost smiled at it. How strange to be eating fast food in the Underground beside the Goblin King. She looked up to find Jareth staring her down intently, and the unsettled feeling returned. She wasn't very hungry anymore.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Sarah asked, drawing her brow suspiciously at the Goblin King. Jareth cocked his head to one side and grinned before reaching over to Sarah's plate. He continued to hold her stare while he plucked one of her fries and plopped it into his mouth.

"Satisfied?" He asked while brushing the salt from his gloved fingertips. Sarah wanted to scoff at him, but resided to simply turn to her plate and mimic him by picking at her pile of fries. It was awkward, having him watch her eat.

"Could I have something to drink, please?" She asked, trying not to look up at him -she failed. Jareth's smile broadened immensely.

"Since you asked so nicely..." He said, and not a second later he was holding a pitcher and pouring some kind of orangish liquid into a glass. She thought about looking under the table for the black top hat he must have just pulled them from, but abstained. She wasn't really in the mood to joke around with her kidnapper. Instead, she waited until he set the glass down on the table so she wouldn't have to take it from his hand.

"What is this?" She asked, curiously inspecting the strange liquid in her cup. After whirling it around once or twice, she glanced up to find him giving her an eye that said _-drink it and you'll find out_. She looked back at her cup and gave a mental shrug of the shoulders, tipped the rim of the cup to her lips and took a small swig. A second or two passed, before she slammed the cup down on the table. "Peach?! Seriously? Is this supposed to be funny?" She tried not to yell.

"Now, now, mind your table manners, Sarah." Jareth chided with a lopsided grin. Sarah gulped down the remaining liquid now boiling on her tongue. _Is he trying to be playful? What the hell? NO. No effing way. I am not playing dinner games with the man who threatened to burn my baby brother alive._ Sarah thought. She was so furious all of the sudden. Jareth sensed her boiling rage and tilted his head slightly, trying to understand why she was so unbelievably angry.

"I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play, but I won't be a part of it." She snapped. Jareth looked at her for a moment, and then his shoulders sagged slightly, and he shook his head from side to side.

"And here I thought we were having such a nice day." He mumbled to himself.

"Nice day? Nice day? You threw a snake at my face this morning!" She roared, her voice bounced back at her as it echoed through the hall. Jareth's head had been resting in his hand, and he looked up at her with a sideways smile.

"Oh, but you deserved that." He responded, tauntingly. It worked. The muscles in Sarah's ears flexed and a bubbling surge of vulgarity threatened to break free. Jareth cocked an eyebrow at her, reminding her of _why_ he had thrown a snake at her face in the first place.

"Not to mention the fact that I'm here as your hostage." She added, her glare gave him third degree burns. Jareth tried not to roll his eyes.

"I've told you, you're not a slave here." He said, exasperated. Sarah flailed her arms in the air.

"If I'm not a slave then let me go home!" She exclaimed.

"No." Jareth said, as if that would be the end of the discussion. Sarah flailed her arms again and then dropped them in her lap. She knew that argument would get her no where.

"And you were going to murder my entire family." She said, changing directions. Jareth's eyes quirked up at her, but she didn't notice.

"You're not going to let me live that one down any time soon, are you?" He asked, sounding...what was that she heard in his voice? Dreariness? Resentment maybe? It was too faint to tell. Sarah turned her head away from him and grimaced.

"No. Not ever. You're a monster. A sick, twisted, fucked up monster." She snapped, snidely, not caring for her vulgarity. He could go and stick it up his ass for all she cared at the moment. Jareth narrowed his eyes on her.

"Beauty to my beast." He muttered, low and cryptically. Sarah's shoulders puffed up and she turned her wide flaming eyes and pursed lip expression slowly to him in mortified horror. A very powerful, very loud and very angry retort was building in her chest, but just as it was about to come to surface there came an intruder.

* * *

There was a loud pitter pattering across the marble floor, heading directly towards them.

"Sire? Excuse me, Your Majesty?" Came the raspy voice of a large Goblin, or a small Dwarf, she couldn't tell. Jareth broke his gaze away from the teetering inferno that was Sarah and looked down to the ragged creature.

"Yes?" He asked, secretly thankful for the diversion. The Goblin reached in his pocket and pulled out a tattered piece of parchment and handed it to Jareth.

"There's a disturbance in the Sulu District that needs your attention." He said, watching Jareth patiently as he scanned over the piece of paper. The fire in Sarah's mind started to dim when she saw his brow furrow, and bring his thumb and index finger to stroke his chin contemplatively. Regardless of Jareth, she hoped his subjects were alright.

"Very well." He said, and handed the paper back to the Goblin, who was quick to scuttle away with it. After a moment, he turned his attention back to Sarah, and was put at ease to find her no longer on the brink of a nuclear meltdown. "It would seem I'm being called away. We'll have to finish this conversation later." He said and stood from his chair. Sarah gaped at him for a moment. Should she stand too? "Feel free to finish your meal in my absence. In fact...I insist upon it." He added, glancing down at her with a wicked grin. Sarah held his gaze. "I'm not sure how long I'll be. As I said before, you're welcome to go about the castle; but for now I implore you stick to the sections I've already shown you -for your own safety." He annunciated the last bit.

"Bye." Sarah said sharply, letting him know she was still very much angry with him. Jareth regarded her for a moment and huffed, then turned wordlessly and vanished in a small cloud of sparkles. Sarah tried not to stick her tongue out at the spot where he had once been. Seriously, why was she acting so childish? Oh, that's right, because she knew he didn't like it. How...childish.

After a minute or two of grumbling, Sarah was able to regain her appetite and realized she was actually very, very hungry, and that it was just Jareth's looming presence that put her off. She stared at her empty plate as she licked her fingers. _Where did they even get a cheeseburger? _ She wondered.

* * *

Time started to tick. Seconds, minutes, hours even? As Sarah sat alone at the vast dinner table. She rested her jaw on the heel of her hand and leaned over the table, precariously glancing around the room every now and then. She sighed, and tried to place the feeling that had taken hold of her. She felt...calm, sated even. Was she just that relaxed to not be in Jareth's company anymore? Surely she should be plotting some means of escape, or try to find her friends. At the very least she should still be angry, shouldn't she? She didn't feel angry... It was strange, a comfortable emptiness. She didn't like it.

Deciding she needed some kind of a distraction, she jumped to her feet and headed towards the door. Once again, the giant lumbering doors opened magically and ushered her into the hall. As she treaded down the vast halls, she was surprised at how much she actually remembered. She turned right around a corner and headed to where she thought the library would be. She remembered Jareth showing it to her, and he only had one (that she knew of) and boy how could she forget it. They were only in it for a couple minutes, but it had left a permanent imprint on her brain. She recognized the simple cherry wood door and felt a spring in her step as she approached it.

* * *

Jareth's library was unlike anything Sarah had ever seen. The room itself wasn't very large -compared to everything else in the castle. It was an ovular shape about thirty feet in diameter. There were dark cherry hardwood floors and quaint yet luxurious couches and chairs everywhere. There were three large open floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the far wall, and had a stone railing that would hopefully prevent any distracted bookworms from falling out. But, what made this room extraordinary, was the fact that there was no ceiling. The circular walls of the room were really giant bookcases that stretched too high for Sarah to see the end of. There had to be thousands upon thousands of books on those shelves. The thought brought a small flare of glee to her now otherwise dreadful existence. As Sarah looked around, she envisioned herself climbing one of the ladders just to see how high it really went.

* * *

She started to pace about the room, running her fingers along the spines of old and worn books as she went, and remembered Jareth saying that most of the books would automatically transcribe themselves to english so that she could understand. She'd asked him about the term_ most_, and he'd said that some books in here she wasn't meant to read. Being in here now, she wondered what that meant. Stopping in front of one section of shelf, she eanie-meanie'd her volume of choice, and landed on a very large, very dusty leather bound book. She coughed as she pulled it free, dust was spouting everywhere.

"Hmm...Lineage of the Royal Court. Ok, I guess that could be interesting." She mumbled to her self. Trudging with the ginormous book in both hands, she made her way to sit beside the railing of one of the windows. She paused from her book and looked out over the Labyrinth. Judging from the light of the sun, it had to be around four o'clock, maybe. Her eyes roamed throughout the dips and turns of the Labyrinth. "I wonder where the Sulu District is..." She wondered aloud, before turning her attentions away from the outside and back to her musky old book. "Page one, the first family: King Orpus..." Hm, this was going to be a long read.

* * *

Hours went by, and Sarah made note of the red glow blooming from the sun as it sank behind a faraway mountain. She'd dug a good chunk into her book, and had discovered quite early on that all it was was a giant family tree, just a list of names and such, no real details beyond that. She'd made it through about twenty or so different families, and from what she'd gathered based on chapter titles alone, there used to be a High King that ruled over all of the Underground, but when he died, he left no heirs, and so the lords and ladies divided up the kingdom into what it is today, and the land was now dictated by a council of sorts made up of eight or so kings and queens. She figured the book must be really old, because she hadn't read anything about Jareth yet.

"King Exelion, ruler of the Goblin Kingdom." Speak of the devil. _Ooh! Finally_. Her mind yelped, acquiring a new found interest in this incredibly long-winded book. "Betrothed to Lady Brassues of Yore. Bore one son, Fealon who ascended the throne. Betrothed to Lady Alira of Grassius, who bore one daughter, Emitherie. Later betrothed to Lady Seila of Yore, who bore three sons, Aros, Brachus, and Thealon. Thealon ascended the throne. Betrothed to Lady Aleigha of the Goblin Kingdom, who bore two sons, Jareth and Davion."

"Jareth has a brother?" Sarah exclaimed in a whisper. For some reason, she couldn't picture Jareth having family at all. He was an entity. A dark, menacing, sexual deviant of an entity. She blinked away the baffle and continued reading. "Jareth ascended the throne, betrothed to-" Sarah stopped reading, cut off mid-sentence by a sudden rustle from over her shoulder. She slammed the book shut and whipped her head around, alarm bells going off in her head. Was Jareth back? Would he be angry she was reading his family tree? She placed the book on the floor and stood, looking around the now significantly darker room. Her eyes caught on the intruder, and froze.

* * *

Standing no more than ten feet away was...a woman? Yes, there was definitely a woman in the room with her. She was tall and slender, every curve of her body screamed elegance. She had dark auburn hair that was done up in a cascade of falling braids. Her skin was pale, practically glowing, and she wore a shimmering gown that looked like it was made of golden insect wings. It was as beautiful as it was disturbing. As Sarah gawked, she noted that either the woman didn't notice her, or was purposefully ignoring her while she rummaged absentmindedly through a particular shelf of books.

"Um, excuse me?" Sarah quirked like a mouse. The woman's hand froze mid-stroke and she turned. Sarah's eyes widened. This woman, she was breathtakingly beautiful. She had full plum colored lips and shining hazel eyes that glinted just as much as her dress. She looked to Sarah and smiled a heart-melting, Hollywood smile. Sarah squirmed, feeling suddenly self-conscious of her less than feminine appearance.

"Oh, hello. I was wondering when you would notice me. You looked so engrossed in your book. I didn't want to disturb you." The woman said, with a voice as sweet as honey at that. Sarah's eyes darted awkwardly around the room. Who was this woman? And why was she in Jareth's castle?

"You've been waiting for me?" Sarah asked, eyeing the woman worriedly.

"Yes, for quite some time now." She said, and gave Sarah a perky smirk.

"You knew I was here? Do you know who I am?" Sarah asked, growing more and more cautious. The woman turned and paced towards a set of chairs. She ever-so-gracefully perched on the end and patted the cushion of the other.

"Yes. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Please, would you come join me?" She asked. Sarah looked around the room once more. This woman, she was so sweet. She couldn't be real, not in Jareth's castle. But not seeing any other option, Sarah surreptitiously patted over to the adjoining chair, and tried to sit just as proper as the woman had. It was very uncomfortable.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked, almost afraid to meet the strange woman in the eye. The woman eased back and continued to beam.

"I am many things, Sarah. But, most importantly, I am your friend. And you can call me Liana" She said, and placed a gentle hand on Sarah's to quell her knotting fingers. Sarah tried not to flinch away.

"How do you know my name?" She asked, feeling surprisingly comforted by Liana's gentle touch.

"I know many things about you, like the fact that you're not here of your own accord." She said, and gently squeezed Sarah's hand. Sarah felt herself relax further. What was going on?

"You know Jareth kidnapped me? Did he tell you?" She practically blurted, and her eyes widened anxiously.

"You could say that. I urged him against it, but the King does as he pleases." Liana replied with a reassuring smile. Sarah gaped suspiciously at the newly named Liana. Who was this woman? She told Jareth not to take her? Who was she that gave her such authority? Why did she feel so at ease all of the sudden?

"Do you know what he wants with me?" Sarah asked, pleading for an answer. Liana's expression turned suddenly sympathetic.

"That's not for me to say." She answered. Sarah looked down to her hands and frowned.

"You know what it is though? He's told you? You've talked to him?" Sarah asked, trying to piece things together, though she didn't have a clue as to what the puzzle was. Liana paused.

"Yes." She answered after a moment. Sarah furrowed her brow. _ Who the hell is this woman? She knows Jareth, she talks to him. He's told her about me. She must know him well. She's in his library for Pete's sake. Who is she? Could she be... _ Sarah gulped at her next thought, and looked up to Liana like a wounded animal. _ She's not his wife, is she?_

"You said you're my friend? How do I know I can trust you?" Sarah asked, very much entertaining the idea that she was now in the presence of the Goblin Queen, and bewildered by the fact that she was as sweet as apple pie. She couldn't get over it. She was so beautiful, and so -not like Jareth. How could she be on Sarah's side? Did she know all the sexual threats he's made? Fuck, he had her pinned to the floor of the throne room! Sarah felt very, very uneasy. Liana frowned, as if sensing Sarah's rising panic.

"My fealty may be to Jareth, but my allegiance is to myself and by my own extension to you, Sarah. I know it's hard, but you can trust me. I swear it." And with that, Sarah was caught in the sparkling tractor-beam that was Liana's gaze and suddenly...she felt...better.

Sarah looked down to her hands again and saw she was reciprocating Liana's grip. What the hell was going on?

"I'm afraid...I don't want to be here. I thought..I thought he was different but -" She cut herself off, realizing she may be confessing her would-be feeling towards Liana's husband. "I'm afraid he's going to hurt me." She finished, and glanced up at Liana with full on puppy eyes.

"His Majesty can be difficult at times." She answered. Sarah blinked a couple of times.

"Difficult? He told me if I didn't come here with him he was going to make sure my family died in a horrible accident. My brother is only five!" She tried not to exclaim. Liana's eyes noticeably widened, and she stared on for a moment.

"So that's how he did it..." She murmured to herself. Sarah's brow drew.

"You mean he didn't tell you how he coerced me to come here?" She asked. Liana shook her head.

"No. I should have pressed him harder." She answered. Sarah's brow worried further. _ She talked to him last night? After I was taken? Well, duh, because she's his wife. Of course she would have talked to him at night._ For some reason, the thought left a foul taste in her mouth. She felt dirty. "Sarah-" Liana quirked through Sarah's curious despair. "I don't know if this will bring you any comfort or not, but your family was in no danger." She said. All of Sarah's senses stood to attention.

"What?" She asked, shocked and abashed. Liana winced uncomfortably.

"Your family- they were in no danger of being harmed. Jareth...he acts impulsively, but he couldn't have harmed them. And even if he could have, he would never have marred a single hair on the boy." She said, testing Sarah's reaction. Sarah's heart and mind went numb. Her dad, Karen, Toby, they were never in any danger? Jareth was bluffing the whole time? No. NO. No way in hell she fell for one of his tricks.

"How do you know this?" Sarah asked offensively, her shoulders tensed.

"When you declared he had no power over you, that gave you a certain level of protection...that just so happened to extend to your family as well." Liana started to say, careful with her wording. She wanted so desperately to tell Sarah what was really going on. But the bind on her powers forbid it. There were rules she had to abide by. "When you agreed to come back with him, you willingly gave him power over you, and so the protection on your family was no more. Should you have refused against his threat however...there would have been nothing he could have done about it." She explained. Sarah thought on Liana's words, finally things started making sense. And then something clicked. _She knows what happened in the Escher room? She must be his Queen. How else would she know? Jareth doesn't seem the type to run off spouting the tale of the human girl that turned him down. _

"It was just another one of his tricks? And I walked right into it. I did this to myself.." She muttered, despairingly. Liana scooted closer and leaned over to Sarah.

"He was counting on the love you have for your family, Sarah. In that moment you were protecting them, what else could you have done?" She said, trying to console her. Sarah clenched her jaw and scowled.

"I could have said no, and none of this would be happening." She mumbled through gritted teeth. There was a lengthy pause before she continued. "You said even if he could, he wouldn't?" She added, confused by that statement. Liana sighed.

"Like I said, His Majesty can be difficult...and quite ruthless at times, but he's not evil. He would never harm an innocent, or a child for that matter." Liana's voice was soft and full of compassion. Sarah's stare was horrid.

"How can you possibly mean that? He's a monster for even making such a threat, even if it was empty. He kidnapped me, is going to do God knows what with me, and you want me to believe he's not evil?" Sarah practically jumped from her chair. There was no way she was buying the whole _his bark is worse than his bite_ ploy.

"I'm merely trying to give you peace of mind, Sarah. He is a good king, and that is all that really matters to me." Liana replied, her voice turning a little frigid. Sarah frowned and slumped back into her seat. _ Of course she thinks he's a good king. She's his wife, she should. Why is she being so nice to me?_ Sarah wondered.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked, voicing her thoughts. Liana tilted her head slightly.

"I want to help you." She said. Sarah gave a sharp gasp.

"Help me? Can you help me escape?" She asked, sounding much more excited than she should have. Liana frowned.

"No. That I can not do. But this is a dangerous game you've wandered into, Sarah. I'm here to offer guidance...so that maybe you'll have a chance of evening the playing field." She said, fighting against the urge to tell her more. Sarah shook her head.

"How can I stand any chance against him? I'm nothing, a human. He has the power to do anything and everything. What can I possibly do to level the playing field when I don't even know what the game is?" She asked, completely and utterly exasperated.

"You can learn when to call his bluffs for starters." She replied. Sarah looked up to meet Liana's stern gaze.

"When it's a matter of life or death, it's hardly something I want to take a chance on." Sarah said, slumping her shoulders.

"For the sake of your own life, you'd better start." Liana replied. Sarah rested her jaw on both her palms and sighed.

"He said he would chain me in the dungeons and rip me apart if I ever told him he had no power over me again. Was he bluffing then too?" She asked, her voice started drifting away as she spoke. Liana frowned further. She didn't want Sarah to be in such distress.

"There are chances you must take, but the decision will always be yours." Was all she could say to that. Evil or not, Jareth was still Jareth -dramatic and short tempered. That was something Sarah would have to learn how to deal with. No matter who won this game, Sarah would never be able to go home. That much was certain.

"That doesn't sound very reassuring." Sarah murmured, and sagged further into her armchair.

"Not everything is as it seems, Sarah. Just keep your head about you, and learn to pick your battles." Liana replied with a humble grin. Sarah let out a long breath, easing away her worry. What was it about this woman's words, her very presence, that made her feel so -peaceful?

"Thank you, for the advice." Sarah mumbled, trying to sound as appreciative as she truly felt. Liana gave her a humble grin. "Liana? Can I ask you a question.." Sarah started to say, but was cut short when Liana suddenly jerked her hand away. Sarah looked up anxiously.

"I'm sorry. I have to go now." She said, almost hastily. Sarah scrunched her brow with confusion. "Jareth's coming. I don't think he'd be very happy to find me talking to you." She explained. Sarah sat up straight and looked back towards the door, very much concerned with Liana's reaction. "Until we meet again." She said, and stepped away. Sarah turned back to face Liana, but she was gone. _What the hell? _She wondered. _Why did she leave like that? Does she have Goblin King ESP or something? Did she mean he would be unhappy with her or me? _

Now very concerned, worried, and confused, Sarah scampered her way over towards the large set of windows. _Where did she go? Did she teleport like Jareth? _ Her hands rested on the stone railing as she looked out over the Underground sunset, and felt something tickling her fingers. She looked down and saw a bright orange butterfly crawling along her knuckles. She raised her hand and held it in front of her face. _ How pretty...and random. _ She thought, and then it fluttered away. Her eyes followed as it blended into the orange haze illuminating the sky.

"I thought I might find you in here, with you dreaming of greek plays and all." Came a familiar accented voice. Sarah was glad for Liana's warning, otherwise she may have fallen out of the window from the surprise.

"Stay out of my dreams, Jareth." Sarah snarled and turned on a dime, and almost ran into him as she stomped away from the window. Both she and Jareth took note of the fact that she didn't flinch as she brushed up against him.

"You say I can't touch you, and now I have to stay out of your dreams? Sarah, you really are no fun at all. A man can only take so much." Jareth said, sounding just as eerily cheery as he had that morning. Why was he is such a good mood? Was he really still gloating over capturing her?

"What do you want, Jareth?" Sarah asked, sounding annoyed with his egotistic behavior. Jareth regarded her for a moment. She seemed different from when he left her somehow.

"There are many things I want, but for now I'll settle with finishing our tour." He said. Sarah looked out at the setting sun and frowned.

"It's getting dark out." She murmured. Jareth rose an eyebrow and turned to glance over his shoulder.

"You're sense of observation is keen." He said dryly and turned back to her. "Why so glum? Is it past your bed time, Sarah?" He asked, and his mouth curled on one side. Sarah tried hard not to glare at him. Was he trying to make her feel like a child on purpose? Liana's words about picking her battles came to mind, maybe she was right.

"No, it's not. But you said we'd only made it half way through, and I don't particularly want to wander throughout the castle all hours of night with you." She said with a firm stance, and though her tone was distasteful, her voice was calm and contained. Jareth's expression twitched at the way she held her chin high. She seemed...different...more confident now. _What have you been up to?_ He wondered.

"We could do something else for all hours of the night, if you prefer." He retorted with a dark grin. Sarah's eyes widened at him. _Could he really be married? To the sweet pea that is Liana? What the hell is wrong with him? _ She wanted to scream and lecture him on his obscene behavior, but held her tongue. Instead, she decided to make a stand.

"Depends on what you have in mind." Sarah said, quite effectively catching the hungry looking Goblin King off guard. His brows shot up at her challenge, and he took a step towards her.

"First, I think we should make our way back to your room." He said, languidly roaming his eyes up and down her front. Sarah gulped, and felt the urge to fold before he even got the chance to call her bluff. Before she could respond, he took her by the arm and led her out of the library.

* * *

"Now what?" Sarah asked, with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched Jareth close the door to_ her_ room behind them. Jareth slowly paced around her, watching from the corner of his eye. Something was definitely different about her, but he couldn't place his finger on what. The walk back to her room was quite unlike the walk they took during his tour. She didn't fight his grip on her. She was able to match his pace and didn't jump at the snap of a twig from the shadows. She seemed more at ease, not jittery at all like she had been. It took a skillful eye to pick up on these small, seemingly insignificant changes. But they were changes nonetheless.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, as if eyeing her up for circumspection. Sarah looked up at him questioningly.

"Didn't I just eat?" She countered, watching closely at the way Jareth stalked about the room.

"That was almost six hours ago, Sarah." He said, while eyeing a clock on the wall. Sarah turned. It was almost ten p.m. Geez, that _was_ a long read.

"I suppose I could choke something down." She said, and was successful in keeping her voice stale. Jareth narrowed his eyes on her. _ I'll give you something to choke down... _ His thoughts muttered. Why wasn't she fighting him anymore?

"Please, have a seat." He said, with false sincerity, and gestured toward the table and chairs in the lounge area. Sarah held her head high.

"Since you ordered so nicely." She snarked, and took a seat in one of the lavish chairs. Jareth cracked a smirk as he ground his teeth. Why was she making him so angry? Was it her _slightly_ more compliant behavior? "So, what's for dinner?" She asked after a moment. Jareth paused and raised his brow at her.

"A surprise." Jareth said, and with a wave of the hand a full course dinner and table settings appeared between them. He was waiting for Sarah to demand he tell her what he was feeding her, and became mildly suspicious when she picked up a fork and dug right in. Hmm...

Sarah was surprised at how calm, cool and collected she was being. She was still furious by all means, but something about her encounter with Liana made her feel...more in control. She felt grounded, like before she was in the white room -falling and couldn't stop, and now she had both feet firmly planted on the ground. She patted herself on the back for not arguing with Jareth. She could see how thrown off he was by it, and truth be told she felt like that in itself leveled the ground a little bit. It was nice to have her bearings again. Maybe now he would stop scolding her.

Turning her attention away from her pride and back to her food, she was equally surprised at how good it was -some kind of stewed meat and vegetables. She was vaguely conscious that she may be eating something most foul, but was too caught up in her own satisfaction to worry about it. A few minutes went by, and she felt an awkward silence creep over her. She looked up to find Jareth watching her like she might detonate and explode at any minute.

"So...you have a very large castle." Sarah said, for the sole reason that she couldn't take anymore of the straining silence. The drawback was that she had initiated casual conversation with her captor, the Goblin King.

"Yes." He agreed, and she could hear the pride in his voice. "We'll have to finish another day. We have the grounds to explore as well." He added. Sarah's eyebrows shot up for half a second.

"You mean I can go outside too?" She asked, failing to hide her brief flash of excitement. Jareth looked up to her, and gave her a small smirk.

"If I can trust you enough to behave yourself, then yes." He said, reverting back to child referenced insults.

"I think you have that sentiment backwards. I'm not the one who needs to be trusted." She murmured, and rested her jaw on the heel of her hand. Jareth's eyes flashed something dark.

"Elbows off the table, Sarah." He lectured. Sarah rolled her eyes lazily at him.

"We're the only two here, I think you can deal." She responded, dryly. Jareth's smirk stretched a little bit.

"I may remind you that you are in the company of a King, and speaking to one mandates a certain level of respect." He said, scoldingly. Sarah looked down from him and placed her fork on her plate.

"You've done nothing to earn my respect. And don't even bother reciting your whole _I have been generous_ spiel." She said with a blank expression, though her conscience was jumping up and down, she was so proud. She hadn't swore or raised her voice once. Jareth broiled in his seat. Memories from that night were not ones he particularly liked being thrown in his face.

"Where's the Sulu District?" Sarah quirked. She was growing more and more audacity by the minute. Jareth twitched fractionally, shattered from his impending brooding. He straightened his back and looked around the room.

"From where we're sitting...there." He said, and pointed directly behind him. Sarah looked on as if she might actually see it through the wall.

"I didn't know there were districts." She said absently. Jareth restrained his huff.

"Well, you weren't here very long the first time. So, I suspect there's a great deal you don't know about the Underground, let alone my kingdom." He said, and for some reason that made Sarah frown. He was right, she really didn't know anything. What had her friends ever really told her about the Underground? Not much. There was a whole world here that she didn't even know.

"The disturbance...it wasn't too bad I hope?" She asked, trying to picture what could be so bad it would require direct intervention from the King. Jareth watched her questioningly. She looked genuinely concerned.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." He said dismissively. Sarah looked down to her plate and resumed her meal, relieved almost.

"Good." She said. Jareth cocked his head a little, intrigued with her behavior.

"Why so concerned?" He asked. Sarah paused for a moment.

"Because I made a lot friends while I was here. The Goblins are good, caring people -quite unlike their King, and I would be very upset if any of them were hurt." She snapped. Jareth gaped for all of two seconds, before a smug sneer splayed across his face. "What?" Sarah snapped again. _Is he laughing at me again? What the hell is so funny?_ She was quickly becoming irritated again. Jareth continued to beam, then shook his head.

"Nothing. You're just...curious." He said, as if enjoying some private joke at her expense.

"Well, I'm glad you find my worry over the disturbance in the Sulu District curious." She snarled sardonically, and stabbed another hunk of meat. "What is this any way?" She called out, exasperated with his company. Jareth looked like he was on the brink of bursting into laughter.

"The disturbance from the Sulu District." He answered, like he'd been waiting for the punch line. Sarah froze, almost dropped her cutlery and grimaced.

"What?" She asked, horrified. Jareth shrugged nonchalantly.

"The disturbance- there was an Erestoran Bore running down a village near the border. It must have wandered in from the neighboring lands." He explained, as if that kind of thing happened often. Sarah gulped. _Ok, so it's a pig._ Sarah rationalized.

"And you killed it?" She asked, just for clarification's sake.

"It was demolishing entire houses, what else would you like me to have done?" He asked, a little bewildered and offended. Sarah shook her head.

"Um-no. I mean, how, I guess." She corrected.

"I cut its head off." Jareth said, fast and clipped. Sarah gulped again, trying to picture Jareth with a sword beheading a giant wild bore. For some reason, the image made her almost want to giggle -almost.

"Oh." Was all she could say. Sensing an opening, Jareth sought to change direction.

"Since we seem to be discussing the events of the day, tell me, how did you spend your time in my absence?" He asked, and leaned back in his chair. There was a quick moment of panic as Sarah thought over whether or not to tell him about her meeting with Liana.

"I rummaged through some of the books in the library." She mumbled hastily, and closed her sentence by pressing the rim of her cup to her lips. She winced and recoiled, what the hell was that? Jareth smirked at her discomfort.

"Not a fan of wine I take it?" He asked, amused. Sarah's tongue scrapped against her palate.

"Um, I've never really had wine before. I could have used a little warning first." She said, trying not to guck at it. Jareth let out a small chuckle.

"You'll get used to it." He said, and proceeded to down the rest of his glass. Sarah snarled at her cup. Was he really going to make her drink that? "Back to your day, did you discover anything of interest?" He asked, curious as to where she acquired this new demeanor. Sarah's eyes darted. Should she try lying to him? Would he know?

"I found something on the lineage of the royal families." She said, trying to conceal as much information as possible. Jareth's stare was stone.

"And?" He asked. There was a hint of menace in his voice.

"Well, from what I gathered, the Underground is ruled by a council of Kings and Queens? Are you on it?" She asked, trying to divert the conversation back to him. Jareth eased a bit.

"Yes." He answered, short and sweet. His eyes were locked on hers. Damn. He wasn't falling for it. Sarah bit the inside of her cheek before continuing.

"It listed all the descendants of each family...which leads me to something else that happened when you were gone-" She said, and took a deep breath. _ Here it goes! It's all or nothing._ Jareth perked up at her hesitance. "I met a woman." She said, and winced as if someone had just ripped off a very painful band-aid. Jareth quirked an eyebrow.

"A woman?" He asked, sounding genuinely surprised. Sarah squirmed, hoping she wasn't about to get Liana in trouble; but she needed to know more about this woman. Maybe Jareth would give her some insight, or at least a reaction that inferred insight.

"Uh, yeah...she said her name was Liana..." She said, warily. Jareth's brow tightened. He leaned back in his chair, and brought his thumb and index finger to trail along his chin. She could see from the dark brooding aura beginning to pour from him that he wasn't going to say anymore. "She wanted to talk to me..." She added in a whisper.

"And what did my fair _Liana_ have to say?" He asked, annunciating her name with what registered to Sarah as annoyance. Sarah flinched. _My fair -yea, she's definitely something to him_.

"Just that she wanted to meet me." Sarah said, innocently. Jareth leaned forward, radiating tension.

"Anything else?" He asked, lightly, but the demand in his voice was evident. Sarah inched back in her seat. _Shit. He's really angry isn't he?_

"Um..not much. Just that everything you say is a lie." She said, and her voice sounded a little sharper. Jareth's eyes narrowed. The way he looked at her shouted that he was not to be toyed with. "You were never going to kill my parents were you? It was all just a bluff, another one of your tricks." She blurted out accusingly. Her voice became significantly more aggressive. Jareth blinked, and it was like half the tension pressing down on him just blew away.

"She told you that?" He asked, bemused. Sarah glared, and he sighed. "Since my darling Liana seems to have let the cat out of the bag - no, I never intended to harm your family Sarah." He said, sounding both reluctant and relieved to make the admission. Sarah felt her anger blooming, and yet at the same time she felt consoled, sated. Her innards felt like a paradox. She was so confused, what was going on? Why did she feel like this?

"She said you would never harm an innocent." Sarah said distastefully, as if the very notion was ludicrous. Jareth almost frowned, but recovered with a quick smirk.

"I don't kill for sport, Sarah. If I want someone dead, I would find a reason to kill them." He corrected. _Why would Liana say that to her? There must be a motive behind it. _

"Then why would you say that?" She snarled. Jareth sat up and looked...what? Taken back? Uncomfortable? Whatever look it was, it didn't sit well on the Goblin King's face.

"I underestimated you once. I wasn't going to let it happen again. I had to make you an offer you simply couldn't refuse." He said sternly.

"You want to take me away and the first and most sure-way idea that pops into your head is to pretend your going to kill my family?" She exclaimed, exasperated and bewildered. _ What the hell kind of sick and twisted person is he?_ Jareth narrowed his eyes again, offended by her condescendence.

"I'm impatient...and -impulsive." He admitted, forcing the words past his vocal chords, though it was no secret. "I've waited a very long time to see you again, Sarah. I wasn't going to take any chances." He added.

"And you couldn't have...oh I don't know, swooned me or something? Been charming and magical and swept me off my feet? Didn't you ever think I would have come willingly if you had just made an effort?" She said accusingly, and immediately chastised herself for the hurt she heard in her own voice. Jareth's demeanor became stone and reserved.

"Swoon? I don't swoon women, Sarah. I am a King. I answer to no one and I take what I want. And I happen to want you very, very much." He rumbled. His voice became low and salacious as he spoke. Sarah's shoulders tensed, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Is she your wife?" Sarah blurted. The shackles on her nagging question exploded and sent mental shrapnel to the far corners of her mind in every direction. Jareth paused, and blinked. It was like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him. What?

"Who?" He asked, bewildered. Sarah choked down a breath.

"Liana. Is she your wife?" Sarah asked again. The silence between Sarah's questions seemed to stretch, and had the most sobering affect on the both of them. Whatever whirlwind they were just in had shattered in an instant.

"Liana?" Jareth said as if recovering some long lost memory. "Gods no. I couldn't bring that woman to heel even if I tried." He said, and looked up to the ceiling with the sheer absurdity of even asking such a question. Sarah slumped in her chair. _ Oh. Well, I feel a little stupid now._ Her mind mumbled. She felt...so far away all of the sudden. Liana wasn't married to Jareth? Then who the hell was she?

"Then who is she?" Sarah asked. Jareth rolled his eyes back to Sarah, his brooding tension now replaced with haughty amusement.

"A nuisance." He said, and darted his eyes to the right as he thought of her. Sarah's brow continued to draw. Why did no one want to tell her who this mystery woman was?

"So, you're not married then?" She asked. Jareth raised her a challenging eyebrow.

"And why pray do you want to know that?" He asked playfully. Sarah tried not to grumble.

"Morbid curiosity, I guess." She said, and gave him a dismissive wave of the hand.

"No, not yet." He answered, low and ominously. There was something about his smile that brought Sarah to full attention.

"Not yet? You want to be?" She asked, not processing the words before they came out of her mouth. Jareth's lips continued to curl.

"Yes, very much so. And I will be...soon." He said, never taking his eyes off Sarah, who fidgeted under his dark gaze. _Soon? He's engaged then? To whom?_ She wondered.

"To who?" She asked, as if the name he gave would actually mean something to her. Jareth slowly eased forward, and laced his fingers as he placed his forearms flat against the table. He tilted his head to one side, and gave her the most lascivious of grins.

"To you." He said. And then Hell froze over.

* * *

Sarah's eyes exploded from her face and she actually jumped up from her chair.

"What? There is no way in Hell I am marrying you!" She roared, and pointed a nasty finger at him as she spoke. Jareth leaned back in his chair and twiddled his thumbs. This was going to be quite a show.

"Now, Sarah, I don't really think you have much of a choice at this point." Jareth said, keeping his voice light and airy. Sarah seethed until she boiled over.

"You said I'm not a slave here, which means I most certainly have a choice! You're telling me you kidnapped me because you plan on marrying me and making me your Queen? What the hell? Why? Why do all this?" She screamed, flailing her arms and moving to stand behind her chair for protection, though she wasn't sure if it was for his or hers. Jareth tapped his fingers as he stared at her.

"You're young, you're beautiful, and you're smart. You care for the wellbeing of my subjects. You're strong willed and as ludicrous as it sounds you have a level of rational and maturity that is expected of a Queen. Plus we have a shared history. In short, you make a suitable candidate." He said, as if closing a merger.

"And you had to kidnap me to do this? What ever happened to courting? Proposals? You realize that in your _impatience_ you've ruined any chance of ever getting what you want? Marriage is supposed to be about love, and you've made me hate you." She exclaimed, and the pain was palpable in her voice. There was a flash of a frown on Jareth's face, but he masked it by standing and taking a step around the table. Sarah backed away.

"As I said before, I take what I want. There is no consequence, and the opinion of others matters not. I want you. I'm going to marry you. I'm going to make you my Queen because that is my desire and it is as simple as that." He said, becoming increasingly offensive. Sarah continued to back pedal.

"My feelings really mean nothing to you? You would have me hate and resent you for the rest of my life for your own satisfaction? How can you be so selfish?" She asked, her anger was still present, but she was loosing her will to fight fast.

"Your feelings mean everything to me. But I have all of eternity to sway your heart and mind. You will come around." He said. And although there was a warmth in his voice, it registered to Sarah as empty and cold.

"No, I won't. You said my feelings towards you were irrelevant. Stay away from me." She said as Jareth stepped closer and closer.

"Then they have just become relevant." He said, and reached out to her. She jumped away. "Sarah, really now. There is no need to be so dramatic. Look at it this way.." He started, and paused once he stood directly in front of her. Sarah was panicking fast, there was nowhere left to go but the bed. "I'm giving you power, freedom, title and stature. You're already here, there's no changing that. Your situation could be far worse. You should be optimistic that I'm not locking you away as a slave like you once thought." He said, and stopped to let his words sink in.

Sarah took a time-out from her panic and processed her thoughts in a nanosecond. _Yes, ok, he's right. It's twisted, but he's right. My situation could be a hell of a lot worse than becoming the Goblin Queen. Ok, I'd would be his wife, I would be bound to him, but aren't I already? Like he said, he could lock me away and make me a slave...instead he's giving me luxury...and freedom (except from him of course). But, I would rule over his subjects, they would become my subjects. I could go see my friends, maybe promote them or something. I'd get to go to balls and see the world. Yes, keep listing pro's Sarah. Yes, luxury, freedom, extravagance, and sex with Jareth. Fuck! No. If I become his wife that means I'd have to have sex with him, -but I'd already assumed he would take advantage of me at some point anyway..._ Deep down in the unexplored depths of Sarah's psyche, her conscience's raunchy counterpart echoed that sex with Jareth probably wouldn't be that bad anyway. She batted her away with a mental flyswatter. She shouldn't be thinking of sex and Jareth at the same time, especially now -with him so close and all... What was it about him that made her so ravenous? Even in the midst of all her hatred, anger, and animosity, there was still a little part of her that nagged to know what he looked like with his shirt off. _I guess old habits never die.._ That couldn't be healthy, surely. She ended her thoughts there, not bothering to contemplate the accompanying prospect of having to bear his children. She'd come back to that horror another time.

"That's not the point. As comparatively better as my situation may be, you can't just force someone to marry you. It has to be consensual, with love and proposals and most importantly, the word YES." Sarah lectured, and jabbed her index finger into the open section of his chest. She was so naughty. Jareth stared down at her, all wide-eyed and ready to burst. He didn't remove her finger like he had on the track, sensing she was really doing it as an excuse to touch him.

"You want me to _ask_ for your hand? Is that it?" Jareth said with a laugh, and proceeded to take hold of the hand still jabbing into his sternum. "Sarah, would you be so willing as to consent to become my wife, lover and Queen of my lands for the rest of eternity?" He asked, sounding so haughty and charming. Sarah scowled and tried to pull her hand away.

"No." She snapped, and winced once his grip tightened.

"Let me ask again; Sarah, would you be so kind as to accept my offer to become my wife?" He asked a second time. Again, Sarah scowled.

"NO." She answered. The haunting grin on his face distracted her from the hand that had reached out to take hold of her free arm. She jerked and flailed as he separated her arms far and wide from her body. "Let me go!" She called out between grunts and gasps.

"With pleasure." He said, and released her hands.

Sarah tried to lower her arms, and panicked when she found herself unable to move. She looked up, and saw her hands were bound to thin air. She gritted her teeth and looked back to him. Fuck.

Jareth took half a step away from Sarah, and gave her a good and slow once over. Her chest heaved and she huffed and puffed through her nose. He smiled to himself. She was so riled. He approached her once more, and brushed the hair away from her face and neck. She tried to get away, but there was no where to go. He wrapped a hand behind her head and grasped her at the nape of the neck, and leaned in.

"We have all night." He whispered in a sensual hiss, and darted his tongue out to graze along her earlobe. Sarah shuddered and grimaced. "So I will ask you again, Sarah, would you do me the honor of becoming my blushing bride?" He rumbled into her skin, while leaving soft featherlight kisses down her neck. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend it was all just a dream -if only.

"I've already answered that question. No." She muttered, and dropped her mouth open when he pulled tightly on her hair.

"Wrong answer." He growled, and bit down on the soft flesh between her neck and shoulder. Sarah jerked away, and he brought his free hand to hold her jaw in place as he kissed a line across her collarbone. "We'll keep going until you've answered correctly." He said, and teasingly ran the tip of his tongue up the center of her throat. He pulled away and looked her straight in the eye. "You really want to play this game, Sarah? Because I will win." He said, dark and menacingly. Sarah pursed her lips and glared at him.

"I will not, in a million years, ever agree to marry you." She said and burned her eyes back into his. A broad snake-like grin spread across his face.

"Perhaps you can be fun after all." He said, and pushed down on her chin with his thumb, causing her mouth to fall open.

Before Sarah could breath, Jareth's mouth came down on hers. She was surprised from the initial contact, but was even more surprised with how it turned out to be like nothing that she had expected. Jareth's lips molded to hers with a skill only attainable from lifetimes of practice, and his tongue slowly and expertly curled in her mouth, urging hers to life. It was so slow, and -gentle. It blindsided her completely. His grip on her jaw was hard, and she suspected it was so she couldn't bite him, but other than that his kiss was sensual and soft. Quite unlike the rampage he'd gone off on in the throne room. The hand in her hair loosened, and moved to hold the side of her face. Sarah was almost lost for a moment -a moment that seemed to go on and on. She'd never been kissed like that before.

She stared at him, bewildered and on edge. His eyes were closed, and he looked completely lost in her mouth. Unwittingly, she felt herself start to respond. _ Damn it! Why does this keep happening!_ Her conscience screamed, and was sucker-punched in the jaw by a fist reaching out from somewhere within the murky, yet to be discovered depths of her libido.

Jareth may have looked lost in the moment, but he knew exactly what he was doing. The moment he felt Sarah's shoulders relax and her tongue start to move of her own accord, he brought the hand holding her face down to her chest and brushed his long fingers and palm flat against her breast as he made his way down to her waist.

He broke his entrancing kiss, and moved to the corner of her mouth, trailing kisses up to her ear. She took a sharp breath and turned away from him, thankful she was free of his bewitching mouth. He then lowered the hand holding her jaw to join the other at her hips, and began slowly inching up the fabric of her shirt. No longer blinded by his expert tongue, she started to squirm.

"Sarah..." He whispered, and it was a sensual threat. She closed her legs tight together and squirmed. His hands were against her bare skin now. "Would you-" He started to say, but was cut off by a gasp from Sarah.

"No-" She yelped, refusing to give in. Her eyes were still clenched tight. Jareth smiled into her skin, and gave a rumbling laugh as his hands splayed and spidered their way up to her ribcage.

"You're very rude...I'll have to teach you proper etiquette at some point." He said, as he made his way to the hollow of her neck, and lowered himself as he approached the dip between her breasts. His fingers grazed her breasts just slightly. Sarah tried to jerk away, but only resulted in arching into him. One of Jareth's hands caught her movement and held her back to keep her arched up to him, and he dipped his tongue under the hem of her neckline. He breathed against her breast, and asked her once more. "Do you accept my proposal to become my wife?" He spoke into her skin. The tingle of his breath sent shivers down her spine.

"Never." She strained to say. The hand not holding her in place moved down and around her rear to rest at the junction of her thigh.

"Stubborn little thing, aren't you? If I didn't know any better, I'd say the reason you're saying no is because you want me to continue." His voice was muffled, and he pulled loose a tie on the front of her shirt with his teeth.

"No, I don't." She answered through straining grounded teeth.

"Prove me wrong then, and maybe I'll stop." He said, and his voice echoed a dark and hungry challenge. His hand tightened around her backside, and slowly clawed to her front, inching towards the apex of her thighs. Sarah's eyes snapped open and her whole body tensed. She drew a knee up, slowly. "If you kick me, I will restrain your legs as well -far and wide." He warned. She didn't relax, but she didn't continue to tense either. As his hand approached her center, his index finger trailed the waistline of her pants and hooked around it once he found the button. He pulled gently, and the stretchy fabric yielded. Sarah exploded. That was it. No more.

"FINE! FINE! You win! I accept!" She cried out, desperate and disgusted with both herself and Jareth. Jareth paused, his face was still nuzzled between her breasts.

"You accept what?" He asked, wanting her to say it for herself. Sarah huffed and puffed, fighting uselessly to get his God damn finger out of the waist of her pants.

"I accept your proposal to marry you and become your Queen." She said, frantic and exasperated. She could feel his smile against her skin.

In a flash, Jareth stood and suddenly any and all physical contact on Sarah was gone. He stepped back, and looked over his handy-work with the smuggest of smiles. She glared and slumped her shoulders.

"Splendid." He said, and then reached out to each of Sarah's magically suspended hands and pulled them free as if they were never restrained in the first place. Sarah wobbled on her toes. Her shoulders were kind of sore. Before she could offer up any kind of backlash, Jareth took hold of her face in both hands and kissed her -hard. She was helpless. When he let go, she was so caught of guard she almost fell back on the bed. "I couldn't possibly tell you how happy you've made me." He said. The sincerity in his voice scared her like nothing else. _Is he serious right now?_ He paused and took another step away from her._ Is he leaving?! Just like that? What?_

"You're leaving?" Sarah asked, dumbstruck. Jareth stopped and turned, a victorious smile had creeped across his face.

"As much as I would love to stay and argue with you, you've successfully proven me wrong in that you in fact do not wish for me to continue...tonight." He added the extra word for emphasis. Sarah blinked at him a couple of times.

"You're keeping your word?" She asked. Jareth lowered his head and gave her a condescending eye.

"Does that surprise you?" He asked, and then he was gone.

* * *

Jareth strolled through his chambers feeling even more victorious than he had the night before. Yes, she resented him now, but most of her hatred was forged out of sheer spite and the notion that she _should_. Regardless of her conscience, she couldn't deny her attraction to him, and he knew it. What was even more riveting was the fact that she knew that he knew. Her mouth might be saying no, but her body was more then saying yes. And to him that was half the battle. She would yield to him in time. First her body, then her mind. As he walked, he ignored the silhouetted figure leaning against a window.

"Two nights in a row? My, my, you must be getting lonely down in your big black hole." Jareth called out. "Have you come to give your congratulations yet, or are you here to offer me more words of wisdom?" He asked.

"You bid so much on so little, so early. You must be getting desperate." Said a familiar feminine voice, ignoring his initial statement. Jareth paused in his step.

"This is my end game, desperation is all I have left." Jareth muttered, his euphoria fading fast. The woman turned and perched on the edge of the windowsill.

"I'm surprised you admit it." She replied. Jareth strolled over to lounge in a nearby chair.

"You know the stakes as well as I, so there is no point in trying to mask my efforts." He replied, dryly. The woman stood and made her way across the room.

"If that were true, we would be under far different circumstances." She said, the light from the moon glinted off her dress. Jareth brought a finger to tap against his lips as he observed the woman's approach.

"Sarah thought you to be my wife -_Liana_. I wonder how she came to that impression." He said, rolling his tongue over her name. Liana stopped.

"She told you I came to see her?" She asked, a little on guard. Jareth relaxed into his seat and smiled slyly at the woman.

"You seem surprised -_Liana_. She was quite distressed. I can't begin to tell you how relieved she was to find out I am still a free man." He said arrogantly, again annunciating her name. Liana frowned. "Though I must admit, I was rather confused at first -with her calling you Liana and all." He said, and paused in his revelry to eye her intently. Liana squared her shoulders and gently stepped towards a small chair positioned relatively near the Goblin King.

"As I don't have a proper name, she needed something to call me by." Liana explained, as if the answer was obvious. Jareth nodded, and pursed his lips behind his index finger.

"Which leads me to my second concern, you failed to reveal to her your true identity." He said, and leaned in to rest his elbows on his knees. Liana's stance turned dominant, signaling Jareth he was on to something.

"I can't." She said, biting down on the T as she said it. Jareth's brow shot up. This was news.

"What do you mean, you can't?" He asked slowly. Liana darted her eyes away from him for a moment. Did she really want to reveal this knowledge to Jareth? After she left Sarah, she sorted through the emotions she'd received from her during their conversation, and compared them with her observations of Jareth and had come up with the beginnings of her own plan. But she was unsure, things were still developing. Could she take the chance? Well, it was kind of too late now.

"As of now, she is unaware of her powers and her control over me. It rests dormant within her and needs to be awakened. This is a journey she must make herself, I can not interfere in any way. I can not even reveal my true self to her. She has to figure it out on her own." Liana explained, hoping that the move she'd just made would inevitably pivot the course of where things were to eventually head -one step at a time. Jareth steepled his fingers in front of his lips to contain his smile. This just kept getting better and better.

"You really are powerless aren't you?" He asked rhetorically and then paused as a thought came to mind. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked directly.

"This is a game of strategy. You're not the only one who has a plan. Though the only difference between you and me is that you don't know what it is I truly seek." She said, and it was the ominous truth. Jareth narrowed his eyes a bit. The Labyrinth had no true allegiance to Jareth, but she wasn't his enemy either. They had an arrangement. She couldn't plot against him. At the same time, her bind to Sarah was not complete if her powers were dormant as she said, which meant she had no true allegiance to Sarah as well. Right now the Labyrinth was free, which meant it was plotting for itself, and that theory could prove to be quite troublesome.

"You told her I was unable to execute my threat against her family, was that a part of your plan as well?" He asked, curious for the reasoning behind that as well.

"I can sense her pain and distress, I only wished to ease her sorrows." She answered. Jareth looked down to the floor in thought.

"And?" He asked, darting his eyes up to her, awaiting her answer. Liana gave an inward smile, yes, her plan might just stand a chance after all.

"Her burden is lessened, though redistributed. Incidentally, you're no longer as evil as you strive to be." She said, conscious of how much she gave away. She didn't want to make him suspicious by revealing too much information.

"So she is warming up to me. Why would you help push her towards me?" He asked, with just a twinge of suspicion, but it hadn't come to surface yet.

"I told you, I only wished to ease her troubles. It was an unavoidable consequence. Don't let your arrogance fool you, My King. She isn't warming up to you, I'd say she's merely thawing to room temperature -a neutral indifference." She said, making the point that it was not her intention to make Sarah like him more. With his fingers still steepled, Jareth began to tap his index fingers in a precise and timely rhythm.

"One step at a time...What else have you done to ease her troubles?" He asked, cryptically. Liana tensed, and drew her brow. She stared down at Jareth, who looked to be lost in thought.

"I don't know what you mean." She said, genuinely unsure of what he was getting at. Jareth looked up suddenly.

"Don't think I didn't notice. This morning she was frantic and jittery, whining and clambering on like a child throwing temper tantrums left and right. After she spoke with you she was -calmer. Less errant and more reserved, more calculated and precise. For a time anyway." He said, thinking back to her outburst over their engagement. He didn't notice the sly smile that curled his lips. "Something's changed in her, how ever subtle it may be. I want to know what." He demanded, and moved his hands to the arms of the chair as if he was readying himself to stand. The Labyrinth took in Jareth's words, and then it clicked. She didn't think he would notice Sarah's shift so soon. It had hardly begun. Hmm...this could go either way.

"Her magic has been separated from its source for far too long. The longer she stays in the Underground, the more acclimated she will become. And the more contact she has with me, the stronger and more stable her spirit will grow. Though whether or not she accepts it is still her decision" She explained.

* * *

Although it seemed Liana was giving everything away, she had purposefully left out one or two small details, like the fact that the closer she bonded with Sarah, the sooner her powers could be released. Sarah was feeding off of the Labyrinth's energy though a straw in the Aboveground, now that she was here, Liana had the ability to exude all of her energies onto her with no restraints. While Sarah could unlock her powers on her own, if Liana's initial plan looked like it may fail, she could spur Sarah's awakening for her -Even though Liana truthfully couldn't reveal anything to Sarah, emitting enough energy into her would cause her to start noticing things, help her to figure it out- and that would crumble Jareth's plan in his tracks. Once she held the power of the Labyrinth, Jareth wouldn't be able to place a single finger on her. She'd bent the truth a bit in her explanations to Jareth, but then again, he should expect as much. Of course, that was all just as a last resort. She preferred her original plan much more, though it may prove to be significantly more difficult.

* * *

Jareth kept his eyes hard on Liana, testing the authenticity of her words. _ If Sarah's very presence in the Underground will help her to acclimate faster, she may get over her cooing for the Aboveground sooner as well. And then we can finally move on...this could work in my favor._ He thought. But everything had its draw back, and nothing was ever as it seemed, especially when dealing with the heart of the Labyrinth.

"I have an inkling that you're not telling the whole truth." Jareth said, and eyed her suspiciously. Liana gave him a dismissive sideways glance.

"Take my words as you may, but their truth lies with Sarah." She said, satisfied that her answer was just vague enough. Jareth eased back, she wasn't going to tell him any more. She then rose from her chair and turned, and took a few steps towards the window.

"Before you go, let me announce to you my official betrothal to the delightfully bullheaded Sarah, as she has verbally accepted my offer to become my bride." He called out, eager to get the last word. Liana stopped and turned.

"Is that why you're being so arrogantly smug this evening? I found myself wondering what you were doing to her while I was waiting for you. I could sense her -excitement- on the matter." She called back, disapprovingly. Jareth rubbed his thumb along the pads of his fingers as he relished the memory.

"So could I." He said proudly.

Liana looked to the floor and shook her head, and then wrapped her arms around herself. She started to glow, and when she opened her arms they had morphed into magnificent wings. In a brief twirl and flash, the stark elegance that was Liana was no more. Left in her wake, was the simple luminosity of a pale glowing butterfly. It fluttered about the room, trailing streams of light behind it, before it glided gracefully out the window and into the sky to join the many stars that scattered the Underground night.


	6. Something Deeper

Chapter 6, Something Deeper

* * *

The air was warm, and vibrated with the pulse of a quickening heart beat. Sarah opened her eyes, but couldn't see, not right away. The room was hazy; red and pink puffs and swirls churned around her. Room? No, not a room per say, but a place. She closed her eyes again and stretched her body. She felt...so warm. There was a twinge in her abdomen, like a ball of pure energy was erratically growing and pulsing inside of her. She welcomed it, and arched her back so the feeling intensified. She curled her legs, but they wouldn't close. She rose her arms above her head and wiped away the hair from her face. Her eyelids felt heavy, weighed down by the pressure and heat around her. She forced them open, but she couldn't focus on her surroundings.

She felt a pull in her stomach, causing her to jerk away, but found herself held in place by a more intense pressure. She felt -contact. She peered down her body, still mostly covered by blankets, and was able to make out a mound within the fabric. She pushed her hands into the plush underneath her and tried to move away once more, only to be met with the same result.

She reached for the blanket and started to push it down her body. Suddenly, the mound started to move, and the twinge in her stomach flared again, making her buck up into the pressure on her stomach. Her mouth dropped open from the sensation. She held the blanket at her waist, too distracted to continue moving it down. Her eyes narrowed, or widened, she shouldn't tell, when the ruffle over her stomach started to move and the tips of pale fingers began to crawl out from under the fabric. She thought she gasped, but she just couldn't seem to focus. The fingers became a hand, and soon the mound began to stir. She felt the twinge leave her body, and felt an emptiness from its absence. The mound of blanket rose and burgeoned until a now exposed forearm reached up and pulled it back.

Her waist tickled. Light blonde wisps of hair dangled and pooled around her torso. She tilted her head slightly, observing. She felt drops of heat moving up the center of her belly, and squirmed. Her eyes slowly began to adjust to the haze, and she gasped again as the pale yellow puff rose to reveal two pale blue eyes and a wicked grin.

The hum in the air started to settle. She heard herself gasp and she jerked away when Jareth started crawling up her body. She pushed herself down into the bed as he loomed over her, nose to nose. His eyes scanned hers, hooded by the same haze that filled the air. His smile was haunting.

She stared up at him, too dazed to feel confused, and could only watch as her mind fought to catch up. Her eyes flicked down from his face all the way down to where the blanket pooled around his hips. His torso, his arms, his hands were bare. She marveled at the way his skin glowed; but then again, everything around them glowed. She brought her eyes back to his, and open her mouth slightly as if to speak. But no sound came. She felt...lost. _Where am I? What is Jareth doing here?_ She felt the familiar fire of anger, but it was a receding wave drifting off in the distance. She felt so -hollow, like all her emotions were being barricaded from reaching her, yet she remained aware of their presence. Her stupor left her helpless as Jareth lowered his head and claimed her lips with his.

At first, there was nothing, no reaction. But, as his lips moved and molded to hers, she registered that hers were in fact moving and molding to his. There was a crack in the damn between her mind and her emotions, and a sliver of true consciousness broke through. She brought her hands up to push him away, but were easily subdued when his clamped around her wrists and held them down. He deepened the kiss and curled his tongue around hers. Sarah took in a sharp breath. The crack in her dam was spreading, and was slowly bringing her back to herself. She tried to pull away, but had no where to go. She pulled against his grip on her arms, but met no avail. She wriggled beneath him, and tried not to notice the spark that flared when their stomachs touched.

"Jareth? What -are you -doing." She managed to snarl between gasps for air. She was gaining more and more control of her body, and fought harder against him. Jareth remained silent, but moved his hands from her wrists to lace his fingers with hers, and brought both their arms above her head. "Jareth- get. off. of. me." She said and made move to bite down on his lip. A low rumble of laughter radiated from the back of Jareth's throat. He pushed his hips into hers, and welcomed the pain of her teeth against his flesh.

Sarah pulled against his hands. She was worried now. She'd bit down on him to what she thought would cause extreme pain, but he didn't flinch, nor pull away. Actually, he kissed her harder. She could taste his blood in her mouth, and could feel him pressing against the apex of her thighs. That was when she realized they were both naked beneath the blanket.

"Jareth. Stop." She said, her voice was a little louder now. She pulled harder and harder against him, but his body engulfed her completely.

He shifted so that he held both her hands with one of his, and brought his now free hand to hold her jaw in place, making it harder for her to speak. She snarled and jerked against him, and tried hopelessly to pull herself from his hold. The hand holding her face moved down to wrap around the side of her ribs, and molded to the contour of her waist as it traveled down to her hip.

Sarah continued to struggle and flail as his hand moved to grip the junction of her thigh, and pushed her legs open further.

"What are you doing?!" She managed to squeal, and flailed her entire body against him.

"Don't fight me, Sarah." Jareth murmured against her lips. The sound of his voice was the last crack in her wall, and sent the whole thing crumbling down.

She started fighting him frantically then, using all her might to break free. His strength was inhuman, and only caused her panic to rise.

"Get off of me." She growled. Her flailing was becoming violent now.

"You have so much energy..." He murmured again, and pressed his hand down on her thigh to hold her in place, and continued to push himself against her. "I can give you...release." He added. Sarah groaned and huffed as she fought. Her eyes burned fury into his, but he seemed completely unaffected. He removed his lips from hers, and turned his head to nip at her ear. "I know...why you're fighting me, Sarah." He said, and kissed the pot behind her ear. Sarah grimaced and darted her head away.

"Jareth, please. Stop." She tried again. The hand on her thigh moved suddenly, and she felt through his shifting that he was positioning himself at her entrance. Her body reacted first, and unleashed all Hell on him in an attempt to get away. "STOP! Get off of me! Jareth!" She shrieked. Her body developed its own inhuman strength as she fought with all she had to the point where it became a struggle for him to hold her down.

She felt him resting -waiting- at her entrance, and did all she could to shake him off. Sensing she was about to break free of his hold, he brought both hands to hold her arms down on either side of her face, while simultaneously easing himself inside of her. For a split second, everything froze. Then there was a snap in the air.

Sarah gasped and groaned, with both anger and -something else. Jareth closed his eyes briefly, savoring the moment, and gave a low moan as he sank deeper and deeper until he was fully buried in her. There was pure and utter disbelief in Sarah's eyes as she realized what was happening. He pulled out slowly, and just as slowly thrust back in, and gave her another muffled moan as he did so.

Something exploded in Sarah. It wasn't panic. It wasn't fear. It wasn't even sorrow or pity. It was rage, pure, animalistic rage. A cauldron of fire, anger and murderous intentions boiled over and spilled out her eyes. She shrieked, and growled through gritted teeth as she fought, not to escape him, but to attack him. Jareth's eyes darkened, and a sly smile curled one end of his lips. He reared over her, and held her hands firmly as he slammed inside her once again, and again, and again. There was a shroud in his eyes, a challenge, like he was testing her, -like they were playing a game. Sarah fought and fought, but her arms were useless, as were her legs, and he kept himself above her just out of reach from her head and teeth. He continued to groan as he moved in and out of her, taunting her.

Suddenly, he lowered his body to lay flat against her, allowing him to move deeper than before. he nestled his head against her neck and bit down. Sarah growled, extremely frustrated with both Jareth and herself. The more she fought, the harder he bit, but she didn't care, just as he didn't care when she bit him. For some reason, Jareth let go of her hands then and brought them to pin her hips in place as he picked up his rhythm. The feeling was sharp, and decadent. She dropped her mouth open on instinct, and another flare of rage bloomed from her own reaction.

The moment her hands were released, they flew to his chest and started pushing against him. He wouldn't budge, so she moved them to knot in his hair and try to pry him from her neck. He growled when she pulled his hair, but still her efforts were futile. With no other option, she returned to trying to push him off and dug her fingers in to his shoulders. She felt her nails sinking into his flesh until they drew blood, and still there was no significant reaction from him.

"Jareth-" She called out, exasperated. He moaned at the sound of his name on her lips, and hooked his hips into her hard. She gasped, but managed to keep any other sound trapped in her throat. She would not give him the satisfaction. "Get the fuck off of me!" She finally roared, and pushed him with all her might.

Something changed in Jareth's demeanor then. It was brief, only a flash, but she caught sight of it. He released his hold on her neck, and in a blur, brought his hands from her hips to tear her hands away from his chest. Before she knew what was happening, she felt herself being pulled. When her eyes caught up, she realized Jareth had rolled her on top of him. She glared down into his eyes, with rage, hatred, and confusion. He said nothing, and only returned her fiery stare.

The sound of Sarah's heart pounded and pulsed through the air as they stared at one another, challenging, testing. He still held her wrists firmly to the bed, though his body was motionless. The temperature in Sarah's body rose and rose, but she couldn't react. Her conscience screamed at her to run away, to jump off of him and maybe even attack him, but the burning heat clouded the sound. She had so much energy, she couldn't think straight. He was right, it needed a release.

Through the midst of Sarah's turmoil, Jareth decided to act. He moved his hands from her wrists, and laced his fingers with hers. His hold was light, and submissive -giving her control. Sarah dug her nails into the back of his hands. She felt like a chained lion just a hair's width away from clawing through its victim. The tension was agonizing. She wanted to rip him apart, she wanted to run away. For a moment, she teetered on the edge, caught in a place where she knew nothing but instinct, raw and pure; and behind it all lay a blooming intensity somewhere deep in her abdomen as Jareth continued to throbb and pulse inside her.

Jareth kept his eyes locked with hers, wordlessly communicating his challenge to her, and waited for her to react. Suddenly, she ripped one of her hands from his, not knowing if it would actually work or not and thrust it down on the base of his neck. She wanted to strangle him, but still he remained motionless. Her fingers curled into his skin and actually trembled from the restraint of her fury. The beat of her heart became a prodding metronome, nagging her. Her chest heaved with frustration, but her urges were all melting into one. She needed control.

Her fingers tightened and twitched over Jareth's clavicle, as slowly, and begrudgingly, she lifted herself and rolled her hips. Jareth drew in a long, hard breath. His ears tensed, though he tried his best to remain stern, and maintained the pull their gazes had on one another. Sarah was quiet, and stared daggers into him as she lowered, then raised her pelvis again. She repeated this motion, slowly, again and again, gauging his reaction and her own. She was so angry, so frustrated, but for some reason, she couldn't stop herself. She had so much emotion but nothing to direct it on but Jareth.

She shifted to rest her weight on the hand she kept at the base of Jareth's neck, and continued to rock astride him. The hand laced with his tensed and trembled, as she tried her best not to let herself feel any pleasure.

Jareth made to move his free hand, but Sarah caught it and held both his hands down, forcing herself to lean over him. Her dark tresses swirled with his light ones and framed both their faces. She focused on her anger, and on the control she now had. She didn't question that it was control that he had given her and could easily take away. She ground her teeth and thrust herself down on him harder. Jareth gave an involuntary flinch of pleasure, and broke eye contact for just a second. When his eyes settled on hers again, they were softer, hungry and -appraising?

Suddenly, Jareth sat up, and allowed Sarah to keep his hands in place as he brought himself nose to nose with her. She gave him no reaction, and simply carried on with her undulations. Jareth's chest rose and fell faster and faster as he held himself back from her. Their faces were so close, their lips just out of reach. Before the build could threaten to boil over, he brought his hands to her hips, and rocked them harder, sharper. She kept her hands on his upper arms, and did her best to keep her mouth closed.

Testing her limits, Jareth leaned forward and began gently nipping at her collarbone. Sarah rolled her head, then pushed him back.

"Don't touch me." She snapped, implying that she meant his mouth specifically. Jareth tilted his head ever-so-slightly. There was a spark in his eye and a small creeping grin spread across his lips.

Completely ignoring her, or rather reacting oppositely, he rose his hands to hold her back as he bit and kissed along her neck, savagely. Sarah snarled and clawed at his arms as he shifted to sit on his knees. He held her up and started thrusting into her once more. He moved so fast, twisting and hooking himself until she couldn't fight it anymore. She rolled her head back, and let her mouth fall open so she could let out a moan. It was small, barely audible, but it was there. Jareth smiled into her skin and pounded harder.

* * *

"Mmm..." Sarah moaned, just loud enough to cause her to stir. She scrunched her eyes tight before opening them, and snarled as she realized it was all just a dream. She blinked, and roamed her eyes from side to side and nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized what she was doing.

"Well, well, you're a feisty one." Jareth rumbled with a laugh. Sarah's eyes bugged out of her head and her face burned a deep red. She did a quick once over of herself. She was laying in bed, cuddled around Jareth -again. One of her hands had snuck under the hem of his shirt, while her legs had hooked themselves around his. It was then that she realized she was grinding herself against him. Instead of panicking and making a scene, she sought to compose herself fast.

"I told you to stay out of my head." She snapped and withdrew herself from him. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why Sarah, I have no idea what you are talking about." He said, and let all his amusement show in his voice. Sarah brushed the hair away from her face, and scooted a little farther away from him.

"Stop fabricating my dreams." She clarified. Jareth tilted his head and gave her a very knowing eye.

"Sarah, you know as well as I that I had nothing to do with the creation of that particular dream. All I had to do was walk in and press play." He said, haughtily. Sarah narrowed her eyes at him, and tried to use her anger to over power her embarrassment. "Though, you didn't fight so fervently in the original." He added. Sarah scoffed.

"Oh, I wonder why?" She asked, rhetorically. "You just dream raped me, were you expecting me to just lay down and take it?" Jareth grinned at that.

"If I'm not mistaken, I believe you responded in kind. You were making some lovely sounds in your sleep, by the way. I hope to hear them again, soon." He said, and crossed his legs at the ankle.

"Just because you can manipulate my dreams doesn't mean they have any standing in reality. So, I assure you, you will never hear those sounds the way you are obviously implying them." She countered, and was pleased with her own resolve. _Why is he here? Is he going to show up in my bed every morning?_

"You sound so sure of yourself. Fear not, I'm not going to bother arguing with you, I've been in your head enough times to know otherwise." He said, dryly. Sarah glared. _Of all the arrogant -self indulged -high handed -urrrghhhhh._

"You have some audacity. You know nothing about me." She almost yelled. Jareth rolled his eyes.

"As I said, I will not argue with you." He said. His lack of opposition left Sarah on a ledge. She huffed and glared away from him. Why did he have to be such a scoundrel?

"Is there a reason for all this? Or do you just enjoy trying to mess with me?" She asked, and gave herself a mental pat on the back for not swearing. Her thoughts were screaming XXX all the while.

"Now, that would be telling." He said, and gave her a lopsided smile.

"Do you think this is funny?" She asked him, appalled by his gall.

"A little." He said, and gave her a pouting smile when her glare intensified. "Oh, come now, Sarah, you make it only too easy." He said, and brought his hand to is mouth. She almost fell back off the bed when she saw there was blood on his fingertips. "Mmm...feisty." He added, and gave her the most wicked smile she had ever seen.

"What- I? I thought that was just a dream! You? We didn't?" She stumbled over her own tongue. Jareth's smile grew, if at all possible.

"No, think of it as something like a...lucid dream." He said, and ran his tongue along the inside of his lip. Sarah stared at him -horrified. _ What does he mean, lucid dream? We didn't actually have sex? But he has my bite mark? What? _ She barely noticed when he reached out for her hand. "Come here." He said. His voice was soft, but the command was evident. Sarah pulled away.

"No. You and your arrogance will stay away from me." She said, and made a move to climb off the bed. She shouldn't have turned her back on him. Jareth's eyes sharpened.

"I told you to come here." He said again. His voice was lower, rougher. He reached out across the bed and clamped down on Sarah's wrist. She jerked away instinctively, but he pulled her back so she fell on the bed. "You should be a little nicer when you speak to me." He said, and the anger in his voice was almost palpable. Apparently his good cheer was on short reserve.

"No, I shouldn't. Let go of me." She said, clipped and precise -just incase he didn't understand. Jareth sighed, and pulled her further. He then shifted on the bed so he was laying on top of her. He took hold of her other arm, and glared his pale blue eyes into hers.

"I am growing tired of these demands, Sarah." Jareth warned. Sarah took a deep breath, to stop herself from exploding on him.

"Would you like me to feel sorry for you?" She asked, snidely. She knew she would be better off toning down the sarcasm with him, but damn it he riled her so easily. Jareth's eyes narrowed further and his mouth formed a hard line.

"No. But, I don't think you fully understand your position in all of this, beloved of mine. Allow me to explain it to you further." He said, and used his knee to pry apart her legs so he could nestle between them. Sarah held her ground, but couldn't help but be a little intimidated by the parallels this drew to her dream. His hands twisted around her wrists, but were careful not to cause her pain.

"I'm not your beloved." She corrected. Jareth gave her a dastardly smile.

"Oh yes you are." He retorted, and pushed himself against her. "Make no mistake, Sarah, My Love, it is by my good grace that I allow you to defy me. Continue to disrespect me and I may take that privilege away. I am enjoying this game you insist we play, but come our wedding night -you will submit yourself to me." He said. His voice was stern and unwavering.

"So, you are going to rape me then." She wasn't backing down from this. Jareth's eyes softened just a tad, he looked amused now.

"No." He said. Sarah waited for him to go on, but he remained quiet. She noticed his thumbs were stroking along her wrists as he held her down.

The silence began to grow awkward. The unsettledness downed out her anger, something that she was secretly glad for as she knew her temper would only result in something sour for her. She darted her eyes quickly, not wanting to meet him in the eye and she sighed in defeat.

"Could you let me go?" She asked, entertaining the thought that maybe he would listen if she didn't _demand_ as he called it. His eyes lowered for a moment.

"That depends. Have I made my point yet?" He asked. He sounded irritated, though his hold on her arms loosened substantially. She pursed her lips and glared off to the side, swallowing her pride.

"Yes." She choked out. Not a moment later, Jareth was off of her and pacing around the bed. Sarah sat up, completely thrown with the way he could swing his moods so radically.

"Come." He ordered. Sarah pulled her knees up, and looked around the room. She was still in her night gown.

"Shouldn't I get dressed first?" She asked, trying to give a reason for her hesitation. Jareth paused and turned.

"It can wait...I've brought you breakfast." He explained, thinking that maybe if he just told her it would skip the inevitable fight over it. Sarah looked away from him, as if testing the truth of his words. After a moment, she climbed down from the bed and patted across the floor.

It was cold this morning, with the absence of the bed. Her night gown only went to about the knee, and she shivered as a draft caught her ankles. Jareth paused in his step again as he watched her.

"Are you cold?" He asked, and was apparently full of nothing but concern. Sarah frowned, and furrowed her brow a little.

"I'm fine." She said, and continued on her path towards the sitting area. Jareth walked passed her, towards an armoire. Sarah's curiosity couldn't help but follow. She watched as he opened the doors and selected a garment from it as if he knew its confines like the back of his hand. He draped whatever it was over his arm, and closed the double doors. Sarah teetered on her heel, unsure of his actions, and waited as he stepped towards her again. He moved to stand behind her, and draped a long robe over her shoulders. She brought her confused gaze to the floor as she lifted her arms to shrug it on. He paused behind her for a second or two, and lightly squeezed her shoulders. The moment was surprisingly intimate. She didn't understand -how he could threaten to take her freedom away one minute and be all nurturing and tender the next. It threw her for a loop to say the least. His hands lingered a little longer, until he finally stepped away and proceeded her into the sitting area.

Sarah followed warily, and watched him as he breezed through the room and gracefully took his seat at the small dining table. He seemed to be in a perfectly good mood again, right after holding her down and sexually threatening her. _ Is he bipolar or something?_ She didn't understand. His behavior frightened her. If he was going to be cruel and vicious, then he should be cruel and vicious, not bounce back and forth between that and...what, normalcy? Compassion even? Maybe it was just a part of his fucking with her, mind games and all. Needless to say, being around him felt like dancing through a mine field. _ And I have to marry him..._ The thought rang like a bell in her head. Fuck. She'd forced herself not to think about it, and try to be practical about the situation. So, for now, she'd just try to forget about it all together. She wasn't ready to handle that little elephant in the room quite yet.

She perched on the edge of her chair, and waited. There wasn't any food on the table.

"So, what would you like?" He asked, and beamed at her from across the table. It was this very behavior that frightened her most -when he was actually being nice and cheery. It was ironic that it was this that scared her, and not when he was about to rip her apart.

"Uhhmm-" She said, and darted her eyes from one side of the room to the other. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her. "I can have anything?" She asked, and winced as if he might strike her down or something.

"Anything that you will eat." He replied, and stressed the word _will_. Sarah pursed her lips at the bare table. One day at a time. One hour at a time. One encounter at a time. That would be her new motto. If she could make it from one to the next, she might just make it out alive and with most of her sanity still intact. _Pick your battles... _ Her thought murmured. Just the thought of Liana helped her settle. She wondered when she would see her again.

"I'd like eggs -scrambled, bacon, sausage, home-fries, blueberry pancakes and a side of french toast...with a glass of orange juice, please." She said, and lowered her eyes a bit when she realized how long her list was, and saw how taken back Jareth looked by it.

"Are you going to eat all that?" He asked. Sarah shrugged.

"I play a lot of sports...so I'm used to a hardy breakfast...I guess." She said, and actually sounded a little bashful by it. Jareth shook his head, like he was on the verge of laughing at her, and swooped his arm over the table. A dish of everything Sarah had wanted was left in its wake. She scanned over it slowly. It looked just like everything Karen would make. The memory made her frown, but at the same time, it was a small part of her old life that she was able to retain. She was a little thankful that Jareth allowed her to pick their food, and didn't make her eat whatever the Underground cuisine had to offer, but she would never tell him that.

Jareth saw the way she was frowning at her food, and was about to interject into her thoughts, but she raised her hand and took hold of her fork just in time. She peeked up at him as she ate. He was just staring at her again, like in the dining hall. Did he eat? Or did he just not like Aboveground food?

"Would you like anything?" She asked, sounding a little weirded out by him. Jareth smiled.

"No. thank you, Sarah." He said. His smile beamed onto her. Why was he in such a damn good mood all of the sudden? She reached down for a piece of bacon, and swirled it around in the syrup from her pancakes. Jareth observed like it was a gesture he'd never seen before. The silence, and one sided dining was awkward for Sarah. Again, she found herself feeling the need to break the tension. Did he put her in a corner like this on purpose?

"Have you ever eaten any of this before?" She asked, picking up on the eye of intrigue he was giving her plate. At least he wasn't solely focused on her anymore.

"...No. Not prepared in such a way, at least." He said, after a moments contemplation. His uncertainty made her feel like she had the upper-hand, and gave her a small amount of confidence.

"Oh...well, it's really good. If you ever feel like trying any of it." She said, and was careful not to offer him any a second time. She was a little off guard when he looked up and caught her straight in the eye.

"What sports do you play? Aside from track, that is." He asked, out of the blue. Sarah paused mid-bite.

"Why do you care?" She countered. Jareth's eyes darted down to the table for half a second. He looked, uncomfortable almost.

"Apparently I know nothing about you. As you are my bride, whom I am to spend a great deal of my future with, I would like to know you better." He said, and sounded unsure of the words as he said them. Sarah gently placed her fork on her plate. This was the exact kind of thing that made her so wary.

"I played soccer in the fall, and volleyball in the winter...and I played in a summer softball league -to stay in shape until school started." She said, dryly, and went back to her food. Jareth looked on, through her.

"And you were in many associations. You had a lot of friends." He observed, obviously recalling the time he'd spent messing with her on her birthday. Sarah tried not to huff.

"I'm sorry, but what are you getting at exactly?" She asked him, exasperated already. He looked up at her, and looked like he was distracted by some distant, complicated thought.

"It's just- been a very long time." He said, with that tone that made him sound so old and wise. Whatever daze he was in, Sarah wasn't playing into it.

"It's been three years, Jareth. That's not long at all. In fact, it's not long enough." She said, and had intended for it to be a stab against seeing him again. She didn't expect him to smile just then, and shake his head slightly the same way as when she'd lectured him about caring for his people. _What is so funny?_

"I'd like for you to ready yourself when you've finished dining." Jareth said suddenly, changing directions completely, and stood from his seat. Sarah's eyes followed him. He was wearing a cream colored shirt and tight brown leather pants today.

"And what are you doing with me today?" She asked and eyed him as he stalked around the table. He paused just as he reached the door. _He's leaving me alone?_

"Getting to know you." He said, and vanished out into the hall.

* * *

Sarah sat for a moment in silence, not quite ready to believe Jareth had actually left her. Slowly, she brought her eyes away from the door and back to the table. _ What does he mean getting to know me? _ She'd been picking at her food up until now, but now that Jareth was gone she felt a rumble in her belly that told her she was indeed capable of eating everything that was in front of her.

When she was finished, she left her empty plates on the table and headed towards her dressers. She didn't know how long Jareth would be gone, so she made sure to take precautions in his absence -starting with bringing the day's outfit with her into the bathroom before hand. As she rummaged, she found yet another pair of trousers. This made her smile -a little. She'd always hated wearing skirts. Pants gave her a sense of security. Even the fancy dresses she would dress up in for her schools plays, she would almost always have a pair of shorts or pants underneath. She found a matching shirt and a pair of boots and to go along with it, and fished through the sea of her underthings to top things off. She pursed her lips as she sorted through all the fine satin and lace she now owned and wondered if Jareth really had picked all this out for her. Everything was so delicate looking -not like Jareth at all. If she had to guess, she would have said he was more of a leather and straps kind of guy.

As she carried her pile into the bathroom, she couldn't stop the thought swimming through her mind that Jareth allowed her to choose what she wore. Even more so, he allowed her to have options -like pants. There seemed to be subtleties of kindness about Jareth, but they were small and by normal, human standards wouldn't be considered acts of kindness at all but rather simple givens. She told her herself this as she waited for the tub to fill. She would be thankful to have these things, but she wouldn't be thankful to him. Why should she thank him for letting her pick her meals and attire? She had free will, she had rights. He was forcing her to marry him for Pete's sake! No amount of cheeseburgers or tight breeches would make up for that.

Sarah was pleased to find her room still vacant one Goblin King when she exited the bathroom. She ran her fingers through her damp hair, and wound it up into a messy bun -using the elastic band she was wearing the night she was taken. She hated walking around with wet hair. Did the Underground have hair dryers? Did they even have electricity? She wondered as she walked across the room to sit at the small vanity wedged between the two armoires.

"Captivity with the Goblin King, day two." She murmured while looking herself over in the mirror. Her eyes caught on the picture of her family she'd wedged into the frame, and she frowned at the harsh creases that now obscured part of Toby's face from where she'd had to fold it. She lowered her eyes to the small wooden box holding the small white flowers Hoggle had given her. What were they doing? Were they worried about her? She hoped they weren't. As she currently could do nothing about it, she didn't want for them to be going through any pain or stress on her behalf. _ I'll see them again...I'm going to be Queen, after all. Jareth can't stop me from simply seeing them, can he?_ She wondered, and absentmindedly rose her hand to stroke against the glass. The only other object on the desk was her mother's necklace. She whipped her head around when she heard the quiet thump of boots across the floor.

Jareth appeared around the corner, and a small smirk lit up his face once he spotted her -obviously pleased that she had gotten up and dressed all on her own. Sarah remained indifferent.

"You're looking very dapper this morning." He said. His voice was light and breezy, as if this was the first time he'd seen her that morning. Sarah stood, but held her ground.

"Where are we going?" She asked, ignoring his comment. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's a surprise." He said. The words rolled dangerously off his tongue, daring her to make a repeat of the day before. Sarah felt the start of a scowl threaten to burnish her brow, but she fought it off and squared her shoulders.

"Just so you know, I'm not a fan of surprises." She said, dismissively, and paced passed him through the room and towards the door. Jareth turned in his spot as he watched her. She stopped in the center of the room, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned back to face him. "Please, lead the way." She said, sardonically, and ushered him towards the door. Jareth stood tall, and stalked towards her.

"I can tell the difference between sincerity and sarcasm, Sarah dearest. Just so _you_ know, _I'm_ not a fan of that patronizing tone of yours." He said as he passed by. His demeanor was stern, but she couldn't tell if he was angry or not. "Now, as you so graciously conceded, allow me to lead the way." He added, in the same sardonic tone as Sarah, and opened the door that led to the hall. Sarah's eyes lingered on the door opposite, she still had no idea where it went.

Sarah followed Jareth down the corridor that she recognized as leading towards the great hall. She didn't know _how_ she remembered the way, and marveled at the way she anticipated each corner and door before they approached them. Did she really manage to remember it all? Or was it the castle's doing? She paused to wait behind Jareth as he eased open the large door that she remembered entered the back left corner of the room.

She didn't know what she was to suppose to expect upon entering the room, but was welcomed by a wave of roaring chatter. She scuttled behind Jareth from the jolt of noise, and gazed out over the hall with a look of abashment. The entire hall was filled with Goblins, bouncing, laughing, causing a ruckus, Goblins. She looked up to Jareth, who was stalking towards a throne (similar to the one in the throne room) that sat in the middle of the end wall of the room. His shoulders were hunched and his hands were clasped behind his back. It was as if the room was completely empty to him. She paused once they reached their destination. What were they doing here exactly? Didn't he say he was getting to know her? Jareth eased back in the chair and turned to look up at her.

"I want you to stand -there." He said, and pointed to a spot about two feet to the side and away from him. Sarah furrowed her brow. _ I don't get a chair? How long are we going to be here? _ She wondered. She wanted to complain, but sensed the serious aura radiating around Jareth and thought otherwise. She took a few steps until she stood just where he had pointed.

"What are we doing here?" She asked, and eyed the crowd as they fought their way into a line.

"This is a grievance summons. I offer them every month or so." He said. Sarah shot her brow up at him.

"Ok? And that means?..." She asked, and sounded just as annoyed with his non-explanation as she felt. Jareth kept his stare towards the crowd, and shifted to rest his jaw on his knuckles.

"Citizens that make the journey to my castle are given the right to voice any grievances they have and request possible compensation from me personally." He said. Sarah blinked a couple of times. That seemed very...humane coming from him. She turned her head and peered out over the crowd once more. Her eyes widened a bit. There were a lot of citizens.

"So, why do I have to be here, exactly?" She asked. She was still trying to piece together how this had anything to do with him getting to know her any better.

"I want you to observe." He said. His voice was low and solid, as if he was warning her not to ask any further questions. Sarah turned her body to fully face the crowd and sighed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Sarah stood, and waited for an echo shouting "Timber!" as she wobbled on stiff knees. _ How long is he going to make me stand here? This crowd is endless, it'll take days to get through them all... _ She groaned to herself. Individually, each Goblin passed quickly. One, or a group, would step up -voice their issues, and ask for compensation. Jareth would think over each case, some more extensively than others, and give his verdict. The subject would be dismissed, and another would take its place. It had been a steady cycle, for hours it felt. She wanted to sit, or kneel over for a minute, but Jareth had told her to stand, and even though she cared nothing for obeying him -this wasn't just between her and Jareth. They were in front of all his subjects, some of whom were dealing with very serious matters. She wouldn't insult them for a chance at miffing their King.

A great majority of grievances it seemed were related to the _Erastora-? Bore -thing?_ that Jareth had mentioned having destroyed a village in the _Sulu_ district the previous day. Many were complaints of Goblins who were now homeless and had requested shelter, or merchants who's stands were destroyed and were requesting compensation for their lost goods, or farmers who's crops had been trampled, again requesting compensation for lost profit. There were so many... How big was the bore exactly? She frowned at the site, and would look to Jareth each time a request was made.

She became very angry after that. Each time a Goblin stepped forward making one of those claims, Jareth would simply wave it aside and move on to the next. How could he be so cruel? Did he really not care for the wellbeing of his subjects? It was almost too much. On more than one occasion, she found herself slowly turning towards him, about to unleash all kinds of lecturing and insults against his crown, but was able to catch herself just in time. Each time she looked at him, she expected him to look bored, or detached. However, he couldn't have looked more attentive the entire time. He was mostly quiet, contemplatively so.

Other grievances were simply ludicrous, and made her want to lash out at them for daring to group themselves with Goblins who were actually struggling. Some had fair enough complaints, -like stolen poultry or property damage- but would ask for an outrageous amount of compensation, while others were simply there to waste time. About a third of the complaints she'd had to stand through were matters a child would take to a parent -a broken rattle, or having no more ale. She had no patience for those Goblins, and she simply couldn't fathom how Jareth had managed to remain calm and reserved during the whole ordeal.

These were the basic categories of complaints that approached the Goblin King, and Sarah listened to each one. Yes, her legs were sore, but she couldn't say for any one minute that she was bored. She truly cared for the Goblins, and saw a shadow of the friends she'd made in each one. She wanted to help them, to voice her opinions. Jareth was infuriating her with his neglect, but each time she opened her mouth, she closed it again. It wasn't her place to speak out against him, especially in matters like this, she knew that much. Was that why he made her stand there? So she could learn her place? Sarah only grew more and more irritated with that theory. _I thought he wanted to know me? Maybe spend time with me? Or at the very least simply talk to me, ask questions?_ She couldn't find a single way to connect the morning with the afternoon, it was mind-boggling.

Suddenly, Jareth stood from his throne and addressed the crowd. Sarah watched him sternly.

"All those who seek any form of compensation due to the repercussions of the Erestoran Bore attack of yesterday will be met with a royal consultant within three days time. The entire district will be up for renovation, so all those who have voiced their concerns to me today -along with all other citizens who reside within Sulu- will be hereby compensated to the fullest effect within the renovation period. To all others whom have spoken this day, your verdicts have already been met." He said and turned as if to walk away. Sarah gaped for a moment. Her anger towards him left her so fast she felt empty without it; though the void was quickly filling with a new kind of confusion and wariness. _ What? I thought...he didn't care. But- he just...just issued a whole lot to a whole lot of people...repairing towns, farmland, paying for lost profit...and not just for those who were actually attacked?_

She felt a little guilty now for thinking such nasty things about him in regards to his subjects. He was a king, of course he would care. He just ordered an entire renovation, completely indifferent to whether or not certain areas actually needed it or not. Again with the subtleties. She stopped her gawking and looked up to him for a cue.

Jareth glanced over his shoulder, and jerked his head in a signal for Sarah to follow. His eyes were sharp as he watched her. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was blushing. _ Why is she blushing?_ She dipped her head low as she scuttled to him, like she was ashamed to meet him in the eye. What ever the reason, Jareth was just glad she was no longer shooting him daggers in her stare. He was a little surprised when she actually joined him at his side instead of glowering behind him.

"Why did you just leave like that? There were still a lot of Goblins waiting..." She asked. Jareth peered down.

"Sarah, the crowd will never become any smaller. I could sit there for days and days and nothing would change." He said, and watched as she lowered her gaze to the floor, deep in thought. _But now they all have to wait another month... _ She thought.

"Where are we going now?" She asked, changing directions. Jareth almost smirked at the small sense of adventure in her voice. He liked it when she was like this -innocent and...dare he say, kind? Civil at least? It was better than rage and childish tantrums.

"Back to your room." He said. Sarah frowned, but remained quiet. "As you may have heard, I am planning to renovate an entire district within my kingdom. I have to consult plans and budgeting with my advisors." He explained. Sarah gave a small nod. That made sense...and on a brighter note, she wouldn't have to see him for a few hours at least.

"Was the damage really that bad?" She asked, concerned.

"No- the village that was attacked is on the border between my kingdom and Erastor. These things tend to happen almost regularly; but that area needs to be rebuilt anyway, this incident just happens to be the proper motivation." He said. Deep down, he felt at ease that they were having a civil conversation, but on the surface he couldn't help but sound wary and closed off. Sarah started to fall behind.

"Oh...do I have to go back to my room?" She asked. Jareth stopped and turned.

"Where else would you like to go?" He asked. Sarah tried not to cower now that his attention was directly on her. _Where do I want to go? Hmmm, home maybe?_ She thought, but wisely didn't speak.

"Um...no where specifically I guess..." She said, and let her eyes roam everywhere but at him. A creeping smile curled Jareth's lips.

"Very well, I'll leave you to explore." He said, and immediately started walking down the hall, in the direction they'd just came.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked, and sounded just a little more concerned than she had intended to.

"I've told you, I have business to discuss." He said, and turned away from her yet again. Sarah stood stiff, like the floor around her was made of lava. "Just remember to stick to the areas I've shown you." He called out, just before the darkness of the corridor consumed him.

* * *

Sarah gaped, wide-eyed, and nibbled on her lip. She felt- nervous, being alone in the hall. She thought she would be happy to be out of his company, but his abrupt departure caught her off guard. _ I can't believe how much he trusts me...not to run away...not to wander aimlessly into the white room... Does he honestly trust me? Or is he just that arrogant? _She wondered. _Or...maybe it's a ploy...he puts his trust in me so that maybe I'll put some of my trust in him...? _ She wasn't sure which theory was correct, but her mind was in a deadlock between arrogance and conspiracy.

Slowly, the eeriness of the hall started to creep in. She looked from one end of the hall to the other. _Where to go?_ At first, she thought about going to the library, maybe Liana would be there. But, that seemed too obvious. If Liana was anything like Jareth, she knew how to find Sarah if she really wanted to, so there was no use in trying to find her.

Unsure of her destination, Sarah chose to just start wandering down any one random corridor. She recognized it of course, but pretended she was exploring all the same.

As she wandered, she realized she was approaching one of the many "game rooms" located throughout the castle. She remembered this one from the tour, and figured it would be a good way to pass the time until Jareth eventually came back for her.

The room was vast, and open. Her footsteps would have echoed if the air wasn't already filled with the laughter and merriment of Goblins. She closed the door behind her and scanned over the different spectacles. There were various groups of Goblins enjoying different kinds of games. Some were grotesque, like who could fit an entire chicken in their mouth without getting their eyes clawed out. She winced and shied away from that area of the room. Further in, she spotted something vaguely recognizable to her. It looked like a game of botchy ball, though instead of throwing botchy balls, you threw your head. It reminded her of the Fire Gang, though these creatures weren't the same. They all looked completely different actually, no two the same. Were Goblins such a varied race? Or were there other species amongst them?

"Hey, lady! You wanna play?" Asked a dismembered head as it rolled by. Sarah's eyes widened for a moment.

"I would, but my head doesn't come off." She said, and shrugged. The group of about four or so Goblins gasped simultaneously.

"That's ok! You can use my head!" Called one of the Goblins. This one's head was also dismembered, and its body held it by the nose like a handle. Sarah paused for a moment. Did she really want to play this game?

"Alright then." She found herself saying, and smiled at the way their faces lit up with delight.

* * *

Sarah jumped and cheered as the Goblin known as Brammba's head hit the target head square on. She thrust her fist up in the air in a sign of victory, as all the rolling heads cheered around her. This was the third game she'd won in a row, and was getting a little into it. She blamed sports for her competitive streak. She brought a hand to her chest to quiet her laughter and made move to reach for _her_ head to start the next game, when strangely everything went quiet. Sarah cocked her head and furrowed her brow at the look of blind panic on her new friend's faces. They were looking past her. She turned, and slowly the smile waned from her face.

"You have quite the arm there." Jareth said, and cocked his head to mirror hers. The remnants of Sarah's smile faded into a flat line. Why did all the Goblins look so afraid?

"Why are they afraid of you?" She asked, sternly, and placed her hands on her hips. Jareth's eyes sharpened.

"Because they know their place." He said, and smiled wickedly at her. "Come." He said, and turned as he offered her a hand. Sarah hesitated, and looked back to her friends over her shoulder.

"Go on miss. We see you again soon." Said one head, that was currently stuck upside down.

"Yes, come back and play with us again!" Called another. Sarah gave them a sad smile and turned back to Jareth, already scowling. _ Why did he have to come back? _ She grumbled. This was perhaps the first time she was able to get her mind off everything bad that had happened to her, and it was over just as quickly as it began.

She didn't take his hand, and just walked passed him instead. Jareth gave her a scowl of his own and took her by the elbow as he pulled her out of the room.

"I'm glad to see you've found some means of entertainment in my absence." Jareth said, once they'd entered the hall. She fought her glare at him, he seemed sincere enough.

"So was I -as short lived as it was." She said, and scowled at the floor.

"Sarah, are you pouting?" Jareth asked, and almost laughed as he said it. Sarah didn't answer. "Do you have any idea how long you've been in there?" He asked. Sarah continued to glare, but gave in to glance up at him. "Sarah, we left the summons around two o'clock. It's now well past ten." He said, and sounded half in disbelief as Sarah felt. _I was tossing heads for eight hours? _ She thought, and reflexively brought a hand to her stomach. "I imagine you're hungry then? I arranged to have food brought to you, but I assume you were too preoccupied?" He asked, teasingly.

"I didn't think it had been that long..." She murmured. Jareth grinned, and absently loosened his grip on her arm.

"I've told you, time is virtually meaningless here. I could have been gone five days or five hours and it would have been the same." He said, and turned her down a corner that would lead to her room.

"That makes no sense. I can still tell the difference between five minutes and five hours." She said and paused beside Jareth so he could open the door to her room.

"Once you adjust, you won't be concerned with telling the difference." He said, and released her arm to shut the door behind them. Sarah eye him for a moment. Damn. That mean he wasn't leaving yet.

Sarah ignored his last comment and walked further into the room. She looked out the small window facing the Labyrinth, it was already pitch black out. Where did the day go? Would it always go by this fast? If she had to spend it with Jareth, she certainly hoped so. She wasn't paying attention as he roamed over towards the fireplace.

"Come here." He said, or ordered. Sarah glared over to him, he hadn't even looked up at her. She huffed at his smug certainty.

"Why?" She asked, and kept her feet firmly in place. Jareth paused, he was about to lean down for some reason, but was now frozen in a hunched over position as he turned his head to face her.

"Because I said so." He snapped. Sarah bit the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't snap at him. He was really getting sick of her defiance. Good, she thought, because she was really getting sick of his orders.

"Maybe you could try asking me." She said, and waited. They were at level ground for the moment. She could tell Jareth wanted to growl at her, and it only made her stand taller.

"If I asked you, you would say no." He said, and waited. The ball was back in her court.

"You would only know that if you asked now wouldn't you?" She asked him and narrowed her eyes a bit. Jareth's ears tensed. He could either concede, swallow his pride and do what _she_ said, or he could force her to obey him, and inevitably back peddle a mile before the start line.

"Sarah, would you please join me?" He asked, with an obvious forced sincerity. Sarah remained impassive, but inside her conscience was doing a victory dance. Whatever the size, a victory was a victory. She nodded and slowly stepped to join him.

Jareth eyed her warily, not quite believing that she had actually listened. She crossed her arms as she stood before him, waiting.

"Please, have a seat." He said, with an emphasis on the word _please_, and gestured for her to sit on the rug beside the fire. Sarah looked down to the floor, and then back up at him.

"You'd be surprised how far good manners can get you." Sarah said, mocking his sentiment to her in the dungeons, and plopped down on the rug at his feet. Jareth sneered. He was angry again, like he was with her last night. Why did it anger him when she listened?

Jareth sat on the rug across from her. The light from the fire illuminated them both, and created shadows that enhanced each of their features.

"Why are we on the floor?" Sarah asked, her arms were still crossed over her chest.

"Why not?" Jareth countered, and swept his arm over the space between them. A small covered tray appeared.

"We're eating on the floor?" She asked. Jareth eyed her for a moment.

"Clever observation." He said, dryly. Sarah's stare was unwavering.

"That isn't very proper." She said, mocking his lecture of her table manners the previous night. She knew she shouldn't be egging him on, why was she exactly?

"It's just the two of us, I think you can deal." He replied. Sarah stared at him for a moment. She'd half expected him to be angry with her prodding, but here he was with a sly smile on his face playing along. She wanted to snarl. Instead of responding, she reached out and took hold of the lid on the tray and removed it. She held it up for a moment, a little stunned by what was underneath.

"...pizza?" She asked, confounded. _I didn't tell him that... _ Jareth looked suddenly proud of himself and her reaction.

"I know this is a popular dish in your world. I went on a limb and assumed it would be something you would like." He said. Sarah's eyes darted from the pie of delicious intoxication up to Jareth and back again. It seemed like he was -trying. Trying to please her. What the hell?

"Um- thank you?" She said, uncertainly. She wanted to tell him no, that she hated pizza more than anything in this world; but the truth was, pizza was one of her most favorite foods and this one smelled...heavenly. She could feel her mouth watering from just looking at it. Jareth said nothing, and simply stared at her as he waited. Sarah's eyes darted again. _Why does he have to stare at me when I eat? It's kind of creepy..._ She thought, and warily reached down for a slice.

It was quiet as she ate.

"Jareth?" Sarah quirked up after another unbearable silence. Jareth's stare had long since traveled away from her and over towards the fire. He looked -content. It was like she wasn't there. Why wasn't he eating? He looked back to her once she spoke, however. Sarah shriveled down in her spot. She hated this. She hated the silence. But she also hated making Jareth think that she cared enough to just talk to him. Even more so, she hated that she actually wanted to talk to him. "This morning- you said that today...you were getting to know me. But, I've hardly seen or talked to you all day..." She stopped there, not sure of the impression she was making. It wasn't so much that she cared about him getting to know her better, but the fact that she was confused by him saying that and then- nothing.

Jareth looked innocently lost for a moment, before he responded.

"And I have been." He said. Sarah furrowed her brow at him.

"How?" She asked, and kept herself from saying anything more. She wanted to give him as indifferent a reaction as possible. Jareth tilted his head to one side. His eyes brightened immensely, as he judged the thoughts behind her words.

"Well, I now know that you prefer action. You like to do things yourself, and you like to be prepared." He said. Sarah gaped and then shook her head.

"What? And how would you know that?" She asked, surprised by his response.

"Your clothes." He said, and raked his eyes over her apparel. "You've been here two days, and both you've chosen to wear pants and tall leather boots." He observed.

"So?" Sarah responded, and shook her head again.

"It's clear you've chosen such attire because it offers you more security than a dress. Now, you can argue that the reasoning behind that has something to do with me, and I will not deny it-" He said, and paused to give her a naughty smile. "But what is key to that statement is that you seek security -function over form. Your choice in attire states that you are prepared to do something physical, and you feel secure in such because you prefer to be physical. You aren't a dainty maiden, are you? All those sports you play? You like contact, you like control, of yourself and the situation. That's why you've always strived to be at the top. It wasn't enough to be a part of an organization, you had to run it. You had to have the security of control." Jareth explained. Sarah leaned back on her tail-bone.

"I didn't think leather boots offered that much insight into my personality." She said, neither confirming nor denying his statement. Jareth smiled.

"I've gotten to know some other things about you today as well." He said, baiting her for another speech.

"Which is?" She said, giving in to feed his ego.

"When I told you to stand during the summons. You obeyed me without question. You stood there for hours, not fidgeting or complaining once." He said. Sarah rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok, and that means what, exactly?" She asked.

"You obeyed me because you were in the presence of the kingdom. You put my subjects above your own comfort and your anger towards me because you knew it was your place to honor them as _your_ subjects." He said. Sarah pursed her lips, but said nothing. "I told you to observe, and you did, without fail, not because I told you to but because you have true compassion. It is one thing to do as you're told, it's another to believe in what you are doing. I could see how angered you were by the way I brushed off the victims of the Sulu incident. You didn't agree with my actions, but you held your tongue. That is because deep down you know it is not your place to question me, not when matters of the kingdom are concerned. I also saw the impatience and irritation you felt with some of the other complainants. You know what is rational, you know how to judge what is worthy and not worthy. I could see the concern you felt for my people, the desire to act for them. I saw you do all these things, while keeping perfectly quiet and standing tall. You presented an image, a strong symbol to the entire kingdom. Further more, I saw first hand how you were able to connect with them on a personal level. You have the ability to instill loyalty and friendship among the people." He looked off to the fire when he finished speaking, and stared intently, like he was imagining something as clear as day. "You will make a fine Queen." He said. His voice was much softer now, and full of praise.

Sarah continued to stare at him through his rant. Her brow drew tighter and tighter as he spoke. He sounded so proud -proud of her. _That was what he meant by getting to know me? He just wanted to see if I really was a "suitable candidate"? _ She couldn't hide the small stab of disappointment that came with the realization. _ He doesn't want to know "me", he doesn't want to know what I like, my fears or aspirations..._

"Oh..." Was all she said, and looked down to the floor. Jareth glanced back at the hint of woe in her voice, and furrowed his brow a little. For a second there he could have sworn she sounded...disappointed?

"Why? What did you think I meant?" He asked, already having a tiny hint as to what she thought he meant, and failed to stop the slight haughtiness that laced his voice. Though, his smirk faded when her brow continued to sag.

"I- I don't know. Nothing, I guess." She said. What did she think he meant? A game of twenty questions? Truth or dare? A picnic maybe? Anything at all? Wait- why was she disappointed again? Jareth turned to her, and sent away the tray with a swoop of his hand.

"If you're unsatisfied with the means I've gone about today, I could get to know you in other ways.." He said, and leaned over slightly. Sarah's eyes widened. _ No. That's not really what I had in mind... _ She thought, and rolled back a bit to scoot away from him.

"Um- no, I'm fine." Sarah muttered, and scooted farther away. Jareth leaned over on his knees and reached for her ankle and pulled her back.

Sarah gasped as Jareth pulled her flat on her back in front of the fire. He let go of her ankle, and leaned forward so his hands supported himself over her hips.

"Jareth-" Sarah managed to say, and tried to shuffle away once more. Jareth didn't take hold of her this time, and simply crawled on his hands and knees over her as she back peddled. She realized that he was now hovering face to face with her, meaning she had missed her chance at getting up to escape him. "What are you doing?" She called out in a panic. He was looking down at her, careful not to touch her.

"Getting to know you." He said, and cocked his head to one side. "This is what you thought I meant, wasn't it?"

Sarah didn't know what to do, how to react. He hadn't touched her yet, hadn't gotten angry or forceful. The way he was staring at her...it was different.

"No...You know me well enough." She said, and wiggled a bit in hopes of inching out from under him. Jareth lowered himself so he rested on his forearms.

"In that case, perhaps you can get to know me a little better." He said, and gently pressed the weight of his body against her.

"I think I already know everything I need to." She said, and tried her best not to strike out against him. If she could keep him calm like this, maybe she could talk her way out of it.

"Oh, I assure you, you don't." He said. Sarah just stared for a moment. _What is he doing?_ She didn't understand. He'd always been so outright and domineering. This- sprawled out next to the fire was...dare she say... no. Was this his attempt at being romantic or something? She couldn't believe this was the same person who said he could chain her in the dungeons and rape her day in and day out if he so wanted to.

"Well, I would be more than happy to discuss it with you then. With words. Preferably sitting in two opposite facing chairs..." She said, and glanced away uncomfortably.

"Or..." He started to say, and lightly ran the tip of his nose along her neck. Sarah grimaced in the darkness. This wasn't going to work.

"Jareth- stop." She said, and opened one eye when he actually listened.

Jareth paused, for just a moment, and then pressed the weight of his body fully into hers -leaving her immobile. He then pushed his elbows against the top of her shoulders, so she couldn't wriggle, and planted a soft kiss at the back of her jaw.

"Jareth - enough. Let go of me." She said, sternly, and tried her best to maneuver a way out of his hold.

"The more you command me, the worse this will be for you." He murmured, and nipped at the flesh of her neck. Sarah felt a shiver run down her spine. She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath.

"Jareth, please. Let me go." She said, forcibly. Jareth's hands moved to pin hers.

"Is that a request? I can't tell." He said, and moved to the hollow of her throat. Sarah huffed.

"Yes. I'm asking you, please, let go of me." She clarified. Jareth paused. The heat of his breath flushed her skin.

"No." He answered, and pushed himself against her. Sarah's defenses stood to full attention.

"What?" She asked, panicking fast.

"You asked, and I answered. I said it would be _worse_ for you if you didn't." Jareth affirmed. Sarah gave an involuntary flinch against him. He tightened his grip on her hands.

"B-but-" She stammered, and jerked her hands away, only to have them slammed back down to the floor by Jareth's. "Why? Why do you do this?" She cried out, suddenly. Jareth stopped, and pulled away to look down at her.

"Because it's fun." He said, and looked at her like it was the simplest and most obvious of answers. Sarah stared up at him -horrified.

"You only do this -sexually harass me- because you think it's fun?!" She asked, outraged.

"Harass you? Sarah, I'm merely playing the game you set." He said, and looked at her like he didn't understand why she was so upset.

"Game?! You think this is a game! What is wrong with you!" She practically screamed. Jareth looked taken back by her sudden fury. Did he really have no idea why she was so upset? She thought back to what he had said about being content to play_ her _game until their wedding night... Is that what he was talking about?

"Sarah-" He started to say, in warning, but Sarah cut him off.

"No! My feelings, my sexual status and most importantly MY LIFE, is not a GAME for your entertainment!" She roared. Jareth continued to look more and more perplexed. "I am not one of your toys! I am not an object of your possession for you to mess with at your leisure!"

Jareth was quiet a moment, mulling over everything she'd just spewed at him. He cocked his head to one side and blinked at her. She noticed his hold on her hands loosened as well.

"Sarah...have I hurt your feelings?" He asked, and sounded so innocent as he said it. Sarah gaped, baffled.

"What?" She spat.

"Your life, I have clearly manipulated. Your sexual status, well, I've been threatening that as well, I will agree with you. But, I have not made a move against your _feelings_...so for you to bring it up would stand to say that they have been somehow affected. Why is that?" He asked, and sounded genuinely intrigued. Sarah flushed, having been caught off guard by his observation. She'd been expecting his anger. _Wait -what? I did say feelings didn't I...what does he mean? Of course my feelings are hurt! After everything he's done! _ She ignored it, but behind the anger, a very small part of her inner self was whispering that her feelings were indeed hurt, not by being taken or forced into marriage, but by the fact that there was nothing deeper to it. He wasn't marrying her because he loved her, or thought she was funny or enjoyed her company or anything like that; he was marrying her because she fit the bill. She'd been reminded of that when he'd said what he meant by getting to know her was really to see how she would fit into the role of Queen. And now, she had asked him why he assaulted her so much, why he was so interested in her sexually... it wasn't because he thought she was attractive, or had a burning desire to make her his; it was because he found entertainment in making her uncomfortable. There was nothing deeper, nothing at all. So, yes, her feelings were hurt, whether she acknowledged the true reason behind it or not. -She chose not to.

"Why bother asking? They are irrelevant to you." She said, and glared away from him. Jareth's stare tried to follow. He brought one of his hands down to grip her chin and turn her back to face him. He was scowling when she met his gaze, he looked unsure.

"I told you, you're feelings mean everything to me." He said, and it was the twisted truth. Her feelings were the most important part in ever getting his power out of her.

"If you actually cared about how I felt you would listen when I tell you to stop. Even more so, you would have never taken me in the first place." She said. Jareth's brow furrowed further.

"I took you because I care about you more than I care about how you feel." He said, and slowly removed himself from her. Again, in his own way, it was the twisted truth.

Sarah stared up at the ceiling. _Did he really just get off of me? What?! _She was too caught up in that fact to bother thinking about what he had just said, and shuffled away from him. She stayed on the floor however, still wary of his actions. She watched him intently. He had looked away from her, and sat with his back against the frame of the hearth. He still wasn't leaving.

"What positions do you play, in all your various sports?" He asked, out of the blue. He still hadn't looked at her. Sarah shuffled up on her knees.

"What?" She asked and shook her head. He was so flighty. She couldn't grasp how he was able to shift so radically so fast. Jareth's eyes dared over to her then, almost glaring.

"I asked you a question. This is what you wanted, is it not?" He asked her, and sounded vaguely irritated, but he sounded tired more than anything. Sarah blinked at him, and then remembered something. _ Well, I would be more than happy to discuss it with you then. With words..._ She remembered saying that to him earlier. _Is that what he was trying to do? _He was giving in to simply talk now? She shook her head again. She'd only been here two days and already she was overwhelmed by him. How would she handle the rest of forever? On a positive note, it was sure to never get boring.

She let her eyes roam over him once more before responding. He really did look tired -exhausted actually, and she knew it was because he wasn't used to compromise, to giving in. She smiled to herself, maybe she wasn't the only one feeling overwhelmed.


	7. Fickle And Shag

**A/N- Sorry it's taken so long. I've been busy lately, but I hope this makes up for it. Let me know what you think =)**

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Chapter 7, Fickle and Shag

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The night was quiet. The air was cool, and gentle against her skin. The moon hung large in the Underground sky; its silver beams shimmered the landscape and made the shadowed hallows of the Labyrinth glow a brilliant blue.

Sarah sat on the windowsill, overlooking the vast picture of the Labyrinth and whatever lay beyond. There was a slight chill in the air that seemed to freeze the world in an image of eternal serenity. She sighed, and laid her head against the frame of the window. It was late, even the crickets had called it a night. She closed her eyes and tried to feel the weight behind them, but it wasn't there. It was no use, she was wide awake.

Jareth had left some time ago. He'd stayed longer than she thought he would have, considering the level of irritation in his voice and her unwillingness to participate. At first, she'd reveled in the victory she'd won over him, but soon realized that the prize wasn't as sweet as she thought. His questions... they were simple, impersonal enough; but the more Sarah talked, the more she thought -the more she remembered. And the more she remembered, the more she realized she was speaking of herself in the past tense, like she was a narrator telling a story of a girl who was no longer there, who may have never been. And it was true. The girl she had once been, her friends, her family, her pursuits, they were all gone -lost in the wind. She had a new story now, having been forced to close one book in her life and open another. She never planned on having a sequel.

As the memories flowed, so did the heartache. She didn't want any of this. She was going to graduate high school, go to college and become someone important, meet a guy that loved her from the very first moment he saw her and she would be happy. She'd have her own family, in her quaint human life. She would be happy. But all that -that future- was taken away. There was no going back, and she had to make the best of the new hand she'd been dealt. She had accepted that, or she was in the process of accepting that. The change had already been made, transitioning had to follow, if there was to be any chance of her being happy again. Deep down...she knew that. But sitting there, in front of the fire, speaking to Jareth of tales from her Aboveground life...it was too surreal. She was trying to move on, not forget, but being forced to recall and divulge memories from her previous life -to Jareth of all people- wasn't exactly doing much to aid in that cause.

At one point, she'd looked up from her ramblings, wondering whether or not Jareth actually had any interest in the things she was saying. Like always, he was staring at her. His face was shadowed by the fire, but she could make out the striking blue of his eyes on her. Eyes that were hooded -he was tired. Or maybe it was something else. There was a softness to him that could have been tell of physical exhaustion, but it was too discerning. Why was he looking at her like that? She didn't like it. And that's when everything started to drop. She didn't want to speak to him of her life like it was some great folktale. What was this anyway? It's not like he actually cared to know these things, why would he? Was it just a means of getting her to shut up and settle down? Was this act of civility just some backhanded means to victory? She quickly became angry with him again for using her own woe against her. Whatever meager satisfaction he was getting, she didn't want him to have it, and so she began to close down. After that, things may have become awkward, the silences between them started to stretch, but she didn't care. He had no right invading her, whether it be her life, her body, or her mind.

After a while, they had stopped speaking completely. Sarah wondered if maybe he'd fallen asleep or something, but she didn't dare move from her spot. After a long while, She quirked up and asked if she could go to bed for the night, praying he wouldn't twist her words into some high-handed vulgar offer. There was hesitation from Jareth before he responded. He looked at her, with the same look he'd been giving her all night, and rose to his feet. She looked up at him, and watched as he took a few steps passed her, then paused and glanced down out of the corner of his eye. She hugged her knees to her chest and waited. He looked...tired...or...sad? As if a reaction to Sarah's anxious state, he then bent down and cupped one side of her head as he planted a soft kiss upon the very top. She went rigid at his touch, but didn't fight him. She could feel him let out a long breath against her scalp.

"Sleep well." He had said, and was no sooner out the door and gone to the night.

And so here she was, sitting in the windowsill minutes or hours later. She had tried to sleep, but she felt restless -out of sorts. She'd been stable the entire night, right up until Jareth left. _Why did he have to do that?_ _Why the hell did he need to kiss my forehead like we'd just shared a tender moment? _She'd asked herself that question about a hundred times now. She was trying to build up an image of Jareth for herself, one that was cold, cruel and manipulative. She had plenty of fuel and examples to work with. But just when she thought she'd made the perfect rendition, he would go and do something- something...nice? Caring? Civil? Something out of character. There were subtleties of kindness about him, she'd made that observation before hand, and they were gouging holes one by one in her mental image of Jareth. It wasn't right. He was one extreme and then the other. She couldn't gauge him. Maybe that was it? Perhaps the spectrum was a circle instead of a line. That would mean that the extreme on one end would touch the extreme on the other. Perhaps that's where Jareth stood? That was a dangerous line (or circle) to tread on, and she had a sinking feeling that up to this point she had seen a rather light-hearted version of Jareth. She remembered the anger and rage she felt from him when she'd told him he had no power over her. She hadn't felt an anger like that since. Maybe all his man-handling was just minor annoyance? She didn't want to know what he would be like if she really set him off.

She sighed hard, and bumped the back of her head against the wall. It'd only been 2 1/2 days, things should not be this complicated.

"Why?" She asked out loud. _Why what?_ Her conscience answered. _ Why does he have to be...like this._ She grimaced in the moonlight. She could mask her emotions well enough around others, but she would always be prisoner to her own thoughts.

She was angry, so angry. She thought she was sad, grieving maybe, but that had past and it made her even more angry. She knew she should hate this place, but she didn't. She knew she should be mourning the loss of her life, of her family, but she wasn't. She knew she should hate him, but she didn't. _ Why? Why don't I hate him? I'm angry...extremely pissed off at him, but- _She bit the inside of her lip with the thought. Yes, she was throwing all kinds of hissy fits about her circumstances, she owed Jareth that much, but deep down she just felt...indifferent, completely level, borderline content. _ Why? Why is that?_ She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to _want_ to be here. Surely that made her a horrible person? She sure felt like one. She felt as though she should be more upset, more hostile, but it just wasn't there. And it made her angry. It was this anger that she took out on Jareth, because she thought she should, because it was all she could do to fight back. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't true. She was angry, for all the wrong reasons. She didn't hate him, or the Underground. Being back now, after years with nothing but a memory, it was like she longed to be back. She wondered why, why with all the things he'd done, why she didn't hate him.

The night stretched as she thought over this one question. Memories came flooding back, all the way to when she first wished Toby away. She'd been so dazzled by him, and at the same time completely unaffected. Was she just too naive or distracted to see him as he really was? And what did that mean? What was he really?

After she'd won Toby back, she'd rejoiced, not just for the victory, but for everything that she had learned along the way -everything that he had taught her... She wanted to thank him, she'd wanted to... A year went by, and she still couldn't shake the image of the fearsome Goblin King. She'd wondered what had become of him, but was too afraid to find out. Soon, two years had gone by. She was seventeen and started noticing the way boys were looking at her, and noticed the way she was looking at them. The Goblin King's face became ever present then. She played over those thirteen hours that never happened again and again, twisting and trying to hear his words in a new light. _ Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave. What did he mean? _ The more her female adolescent mind thought the more meaning emerged from those words. Suddenly, the image changed from the fearsome Goblin King to the possibly lecherous Goblin King. She thought about him more and more and even dared to ask her friends about him. She was disappointed to hear they knew nothing, and was left to carry on her innocently guilty daydreams. What could be the harm in that? There was nothing wrong with having a guilty pleasure, even if it was an inhuman, magical Goblin King -right? Before she knew it, three years had gone by, and there wasn't a single day that she didn't imagine those pale blue eyes roaming over her in a dark and damp tunnel. She wanted so desperately to know what had become of him, what he had meant by those words. The boys at school, her experimenting friends, there was so much pressure to be physical, but all she could think of was Jareth. _Why was that?_ She'd thought about calling on him on more than one occasion, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The threat was too great. What if he hated her? What if he had forgotten all about her? She didn't know which she thought would be worse. And so the days and months passed, as she forced herself to be content with her dreams; until the day came when her unspoken wish came true, and as cliche as it was, the old life saying "be careful what you wish for" couldn't have proven to be more true.

_Is that why I can't hate him? Because I still have this stupid, totally wrong predilection of what I thought he would be? Of what I wanted him to be?_ That seemed like a solid enough answer. The Jareth in reality was nothing like the Jareth from her dreams, but when she saw him, a very very small part of her subconscious hoped that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, that her dreams would still come true, and she hated herself for it.

Her eyes snapped open as a realization chimed its way through. _What? Why? You going to offer me my dreams again?_ She remembered she'd asked him that on her birthday. And he had said -_No. That, my dear, was a one time offer._ He wasn't offering her her dreams this time. What were her dreams? For the past two years or so, they were of a charming, romantic, and docile Jareth. _Is that what he meant? Is he being this way deliberately? He won't offer me my dreams so he's giving me my nightmares?_ She wasn't one for conspiracies, but she desperately wanted an answer, and an explanation. _How could I be so wrong? How could I be such a poor judge of character?_ She felt silly for ever thinking he was anything more than a scoundrel. And that was another reason she was so angry. She was angry with herself, because she knew Jareth could get inside her head which meant he knew how she really felt, and there was nothing she could do but fight against it. It was hard enough fighting Jareth, let alone herself.

She sighed again and opened her eyes. The scene hadn't changed. The moon was still bright and the night was still quiet. She looked to the side, movement had caught her eye. There was something fluttering off in the distance, the moonlight was reflecting off its wings. _ Is that...a butterfly? _ She wondered, and eyed it as it approached. _Why do they seem to pop up at the most random times? _ She rose her arm out the window and waited for it to land.

It was larger up close, larger than any butterfly she'd ever seen. It was white, and had a shallow glow that only a creature of magic could posses. She watched as it crawled along her finger, and recoiled her arm back to her to examine it further. She lowered her head slightly, and felt a pull on her eye lids. It was strange, she felt more at ease all of the sudden. She tried not to yawn.

"I guess it isn't that bad..." She murmured, and then frowned. This was exactly what made her so angry, she just wasn't as upset as she wanted to be. It was all a front. She'd been telling herself how horrible Jareth was, how monstrous he was being, but what had he really done? _He's threatened me, even though it was a huge bluff...ok that kind of cancels itself out in a way... He kidnapped me. That one I can still be angry about. I have to marry him...which isn't as bad as some other things that he could do to me -but still, it's the principle of the matter. He's harassed me, violated my personal space, but he hasn't forced himself on me yet...which he could have if he wanted to... -that's nothing to thank him for. He's hurt me, pushed me, pulled me, but he hasn't hit me... Will he hit me? He keeps warning me about what will happen once we're married -what will happen? Will he change? Become even more cruel? What does it mean to be the Goblin Queen exactly?_

Her frown intensified as she stared blankly at the glowing insect. There was so much bad, and not nearly enough good. It was like locking a bunch of lightning bugs in a dark room. No matter how much they glowed individually, it would never be enough to rid the blackness. They would be forever surrounded by darkness, buzzing about with nothing but false hope. That's how she imagined her situation with Jareth. _ So much buzzing... _It was confusing. She shook her head suddenly and growled. _No. No. This is too complicated. I don't need this. I've been kidnapped, I need to get over it one way or another. I have to marry Jareth and I need to get over that too, but I'll be damned if I ever stop fighting him. There, that's simple and it needs to stay that way. You need to survive Sarah, you need to be smart. Maybe one day you can even be happy. _She narrowed her eyes and huffed, not hardly believing the conviction of her own thoughts.

"Why can't he be like the Jareth from my dreams?" She asked the butterfly, exasperated, and watched as it flapped its wings and hovered into the air.

* * *

Sarah didn't know exactly how long she had been outside, only that it was well past dark out and her father still wasn't there. She put her hands on the top of her head and paced from side to side, taking one steady breath after another. She'd been running nonstop over and over. She was starting to get tired. She wiped fly away strands of hair away from her face and grimaced. She was sweating. She looked around the track, moon and stars and it was still smoldering hot out, or maybe it was just because she was running so hard. She continued to huff and puff. Her breathing wasn't settling. Her heart felt constricted by the heat and fabric that stuck to her skin. Her head dipped low as she focused on the beating of her heart and she put her hands on her hips. _I'm alone, fuck it._ She concluded, taking the hem of her sticky tank top and pulling it over her head. She saw other girls practicing in just a sports bra, but she never had. She didn't know why, it wasn't like she was self conscious or anything.

The heat and pressure melted away from her chest immediately, and she took a deep breath through her nose as a cooling breeze grazed across her bare stomach. God, she felt so much better. She took another swig of water and looked towards the parking lot, it was just visible from around the corner of the school. Where was her father?

Needing to take a break, Sarah sat on the track and started stretching. She bent one leg, and extended the other, stretching her arms out to clasp around the sole of her foot, working her hamstring. After a few seconds, she switched to the other leg. She then stood and stepped towards the fence. She raised one leg and propped her heel over the railing and bent down to touch the toe of her other foot. She heard a noise and paused.

Sarah looked up, leg still extended high the air, and scanned her eyes in the direction she thought she heard the sound. It was dark out, even with the stadium lights on, she couldn't see very far. She heard the noise again, louder this time. She removed her leg from the fence and stood, looking up and all around. She heard it again, from behind her this time. She whirled around and saw nothing. _What was that? It was like...a rustling -flapping? A bird maybe?_ She wondered, still gazing up into the night sky.

A few minutes past, and she gave up her visual interrogation of the night sky and lowered her head. She took a step away from the fence, heading back towards the starting line, when something caught her eye.

Sarah paused mid-stride, She'd caught something out of the corner of her eye, something white, hugely contrasting with the night around her. She turned her head to face it and found herself momentarily stupefied.

Sarah blinked, and tilted her head slightly, registering the white and golden barn owl that stared back. It cocked its head to one side, mimicking Sarah. She tilted her head to the other side, and again, the bird mimicked. She straightened her back and took a couple more steps. The owl shuffled along the steeple it had perched on and waited. Sarah blinked a few more times, and slowly felt the clamp on her jaw start to loosen. She was wary, catching the glint the light reflected off its curling talons. What was an owl doing so close? Was something wrong with it? Would it attack her? She wondered.

Minutes and minutes past, as Sarah and the owl blankly stared at one another. When it seemed enough time had past to bring her mind out of the danger zone and rule the bird's presence as safe and disease free, Sarah's inner voice of reason gave way to its mischievous counterpart and entertained the idea that she knew exactly what it was doing there.

In an instant, Sarah's demeanor changed, the stance of her body exuding a very different kind of aura. She narrowed her eyes on the owl, and it blinked in response.

"I knew an owl like you once." Sarah said casually. She paused and reached down for her water. "He was a special owl." She crinkled her nose and sneered, glancing at the bird as she pursed her lips around the mouth piece of her water bottle. The bird cocked its head and leaned forward, ruffling its feathers. "He had magic powers and could do all kinds of wonderful things." She waved her hand around in the air. "But he was selfish, and arrogant, and cruel and it ended up coming back to bite him in the ass." She hissed, glaring at the innocent owl.

The owl ruffled its feathers and covered its head with its wing. Sarah cracked a smirk and huffed. This was fun. She'd never openly discussed the Goblin King before -aside from with Hoggle and the gang.

"But you're nothing like that." She said, setting her water bottle back on the ground. "If you were, you would be spouting glitter by now." The owl turned its head almost a full 180 degrees. Aw, how adorable. Sarah snickered to herself and started stretching again, extending her legs and reaching in all kinds of exaggerated poses. Yes, she was giving the bird a show, why the hell not? It was fun pretending. She hadn't made a wish, so there was no way it could actually be Jareth, right?

When she was good and limber, Sarah stood and oriented herself to the starting line.

"Bird, you wanna keep time? States is coming up soon. I'm going for gold." She said, glancing over her shoulder. The owl teetered from foot to foot. Sarah took that as a yes. She turned back around and faced the line of hurdles. She hunkered down into position and raised her derrière high into the air, quietly smiling to herself. Oh, this was so wrong. "You ready?" She called, twisting her toe into the grit. "Set!" She tensed her arms and lowered her head. "Go!" She hollered, and took off in the blink of an eye.

The owl perched silently on the wooden beam of the steeple, leaning forward and watching Sarah with interest as she bounded over each hurdle. She flew with easy grace, making her actual jumps hardly distinguishable from her sprint. Her body streamlined down the track. She kept her head low, and extended her arms in perfect posture. The owl cocked its head. She really was very good, not to mention the stretch and curve her barely clad body made with each jump. The owl ruffled its feathers again, and shook its head.

_One, two, three, jump. One, two, three, jump._ Sarah's mind murmured, concentrating on each jump, and watching as she came closer and closer towards the finish line. After her final landing, she hunkered down into super streamline mode and sprinted the twenty foot straightaway across the finish line. She reduced her pace until she came to an easy halt, and put her hands over the top of her head as she caught her breath. She leaned against another steeple that was left off to the side and looked up the track. She frowned, the owl was gone. _Aw, we were having such a nice conversation. _She pouted.

"Eleven point two." Came a precise and highly annunciated voice. Sarah yelped and dashed off of the steeple and into the middle of the track. _Oh My Holy Fucking Shit! _She stumbled and whipped around, eyes wide and frantic.

"What the fuck!" She shrieked on reflex, bringing a hand to her chest when her heart lurched against her ribcage. _Oh my god..._

Jareth sat on the steeple perched on his toes, resting his forearms on his knees. He tilted his head to one side, and snickered.

"Not what you were hoping for?" Jareth asked with a sneering hiss. Sarah's eyes widened and she straightened her back. _My God, it's really him. It's -Jareth! The Fucking Goblin King! Oh my god..._

Sarah's eyes slowly fell over the picture that was Jareth the Goblin King. He was perched up on his toes like an -owl. He was dressed in all black, the neck of his shirt hung low and flowed in the slight breeze. Sarah gulped. _Fuck._ He looked exactly as she remembered him -no, better. Dream Jareth had nothing on this. He hadn't aged a day. He had such a lithe frame and eerie sensuality. His hair was just as messy and perfect as she remembered, framing his sharp features. His eyes were done up in a smokey black that made his pale blue eyes burn from his face. Sarah's mouth started to water. _Shit. Stop it, Sarah. He's really here, this isn't a dream. You know this can't be good. Stop gawking -Stttopppppppp. Composure Sarah! Control the situation!_ She screamed at herself.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sarah demanded, taking half a step back. Jareth regarded her shrewdly, reveling in the element of surprise.

"Now why all the hostility? We were having such a pleasant conversation." He said with total wickedness. Sarah's jaw tensed. _Shit. I said all those things! Shit! I practically flaunted my ass in his face! Fuck! No, Sarah. Do. Not. Panic._ She thought over and over.

"I-I thought - How? Why- How are you even here? I didn't say the words. I didn't make a wish." She stumbled over her own tongue, trying to decide which question was more important- how or why. Jareth gave a dismissive glance off to the side.

"Good. Because I'm not here to grant you one." He said, hunkering down to actually sit on the steeple. Sarah's eyes narrowed, fighting not trail her eyes up his legs.

"Then what are you doing here." She demanded, shrouding her fear behind anger and an offensive demeanor.

"So serious, can I not simply drop by to visit an old friend?" He asked, placing a hand over his heart and trying to look somewhat hurt. Sarah fisted her hands.

"Then you must be lost because I'm not your friend, Jareth." She said with warning. Jareth flashed her a quick smirk.

"Friend, nemesis, same difference." He said with a toothy sneer, locking his eyes with hers. Sarah's ears twitched with the intensity of his gaze.

"I haven't seen or heard from you in three years. Why now? What do you want from me?" She asked, holding her ground.

"I don't want anything from you." Jareth answered, stepping down from the steeple and taking a few steps towards her. Sarah dug her heel into the ground. Fuck he was hot. Years of dreams could not have prepared her for this.

"Well, you're here for a reason." Sarah simplified, darting her eyes down his chest as he approached her, and then rose them back to his face once he was standing in front of her. Her mouth gaped open just a bit. He was so close. She could smell his rich aroma washing over her.

"Would it suffice if I said I missed you?" Jareth asked, observing the way her chest rose and fell with his proximity. Sarah felt a heat flare. Was this the start to one of her dreams?

"And why would you miss me?" She asked, locking her eyes on his nose to avoid his vicious stare.

"I think you have an inkling." He said, lowering his gaze over Sarah's body. Sarah gulped, just now realizing all she was wearing was a work out bra and some booty shorts.

"No, not really." She responded, her eyes scanned Jareth's face furiously for any clue as to what he was thinking.

"You're wet." Jareth observed, and ran a finger down the side of Sarah's waist, which was glistening with sweat from her previous exertions. Sarah's chest rose, but she remained still. _Fuck. Why is he touching me. Focus!_ She would not give in to his distractions. "Something tells me you're not as surprised to see me as you're pretending to be." His voice was low and soft. His eyes caught the glint of Sarah's necklace, and followed it down into the shadowed hollow between her breasts. It was then that he felt a strong urge to find out what was hanging at the end of her chain. Sarah gulped._ Probably because I've been thinking of nothing but you since my dream last night. Wait...I have a crazy real dream and now he's here? There's no way that's coincidence._

"Are you going to tell me what the hell it is you're doing here?" Sarah demanded, glancing down at his wayward finger. She gulped. He was still touching her. Jareth tilted his head slightly, roaming his dark gaze over Sarah's shiny form once more, his eyes catching on her belly button this time.

"You've grown since the last time I've seen you." Jareth rumbled with lingering sensuality, changing the direction of his finger to trail along the waist band of her shorts. Sarah's nostrils flared. No, this was too much.

"Jareth stop. Don't touch me. This is weird." Sarah said, glancing nervously away from him. He brought his eyes to her face, his expression stoned with dark determination.

"And why is that?" He asked, bringing the rest of his fingers to join the first and started a new trail back up her side. Sarah flinched away from him. His ego smiled. Yes, he definitely had an affect on her.

"You want the list?" She blurted, now conscious more than ever as to her revealing apparel. She thought about going to get her tank top, but immediately decided against it. Doing so would show him he affected her (too bad he already knew), and she'd be damned if she gave him that satisfaction. Jareth looked at her with amused interest, silently pushing her to continue. She huffed. "Maybe because the last time we saw each other was when you kidnapped my baby brother and did everything you could to stop me from getting him back? Or the fact that I was just a kid, hell I still kind of am and you're how old? Doesn't that strike you as a little wrong? Or even just the simple fact that we didn't exactly part on the best of terms." She rambled, forcing herself to stop before she got too worked up. Geez, why couldn't this just be another dream?

"I am immortal, Sarah. Age has no meaning to me." Jareth's voice was soft and informative. Sarah tried to remain impassive. _Well of course he doesn't care about age! Fucking pedo! _Her inner voice shrieked. _What do you mean pedo? How many hot nasty dreams have you had about him? Don't go all hypocritical now just because he's finally showed up._ Said its raunchy counterpart. Sarah's mind had been waging war a lot lately, she'd have to give them names soon.

"And you're not mad at me for beating your Labyrinth?" She asked. Jareth paused, then continued drinking in her body.

"No...I find your victory rather -admirable." He said slowly -reluctantly, as if testing the thought as he said it.

"You still haven't told me why you're here. You didn't just pop in at random for no reason. And don't say it's because you missed me because I'm not buying it." Sarah spat, darting out a finger and jabbing him in the chest. Ok, that gesture was a little unnecessary. She just wanted to touch him. Jareth slowly reached up and took told of her accusing finger with two of his own, and directed it away from him. He didn't like to be jabbed at, but he was able to suppress his annoyance. Sarah watched as he turned her hand away from him -and didn't let go.

"I hear it's your birthday today." He purred. Sarah was taken back. _Really? Why the hell is my birthday so damned important?_ She scoffed.

"Yea? Who'd you hear that from?" Sarah countered, sounding irritated. Jareth gave her a sly grin.

"You're quite popular with the boys aren't you?" He deflected. Sarah scowled.

"What are you talk- wait. You mean today? Mr Crone, Ben, Tommy, that was all you?" She asked in shocked horror. Jareth gave a cheeky smile.

"You were so flustered. I must say, I rather enjoyed playing high school for a day." He snickered. Sarah was starting to grow uncomfortable. _I knew there was something strange going on..._

"Jared? You were Jared too? Just today? Or have you always been him?" She asked accusingly. Jareth's smile grew bigger.

"Just today." He answered, and paused. "He's a very lucky boy." He added, running his tongue along his teeth as he stared at her. "Tell me, would you like to borrow my Chapstick, Sarah?" He asked sarcastically. Sarah's face flushed beat red. _Fuck. _She'd made out with him how many times? But it wasn't him, it was Jared. No, it was him pretending to be Jared. _Fucking shit._

"So you've been fucking with me all day? Why?" She asked, glaring at him.

"To shatter your nerves, of course." He stated, as if revealing some diabolical plan. Sarah drew her brow at him.

"Why?" She asked.

"To better prepare you for our reunion." He replied. Sarah pursed her lips at him.

"A reunion you still haven't said the reason for." Sarah snapped. Jareth's smile retreated to a humble grin, and he eyed her with prepared anticipation.

"Come, come, Sarah. I'm not here to fight you, relax. It's your birthday. I've brought you a gift." He said, all light hearted and seductive.

"What?" Sarah gaped and scowled at the same time. Jareth took a step away from her and watched as the confusion played openly across her face. "What? Why? You going to offer me my dreams again?" She asked sardonically. Jareth forced a sneer.

"No. Only one." He said, and conjured a crystal which rolled and perched at the steeple of his fingers. Sarah looked from the crystal to him, worriedly.

"And what one would that be?" She asked, and balanced on her toes, not sure if she was about to take a step towards or away from him.

"The one you want me to give you." He said, and stared at her maliciously as she weighed her decision. She reached out, but caught herself.

"How do I know I can trust you?" She asked. Jareth tilted his head to one side.

"This is your dream after all, besides, have I ever lied to you?" He asked. Sarah stared for a moment, like his words meant more than what they seemed, and then slowly, she reached out for the crystal he held between them. She took it, and held it close to her face. "See how easy that was? And to think I went through so much trouble the first time." He said. Sarah scowled into the orb, she couldn't see anything.

"There was more at stake the first time." She said, and lowered her eyes back to the crystal. "I don't understand, I don't see anything." She added and looked up, sensing Jareth's smirk.

"That's because what you want me to give you isn't in that crystal." He said, with a one sided sneer plastered on his smug face. Sarah continued to scowl.

"Then where is it?" She asked, giving him an genuinely perplexed expression. Jareth blinked, slowly, and roamed his eyes from nose to toe on Sarah's body.

"Right in front of you." He said, and assumed a stance that could only be described as predatory.

"Wh-what?" She asked, bemused, abashed and embarrassed beyond all reason. A blooming blush flushed her face in an instant, which only made his smile broaden. He stepped towards her, and gently brushed his fingers along her jaw. Sarah stood, immobile, her heart beating faster and faster. His eyes racked down her one more time before settling on hers. There was both fire and darkness in his eyes. "How you have grown." He murmured, and gently tugged on her jaw to meet him half way as he kissed her.

Sarah froze for just a moment. Jareth was kissing her. Jareth -the Goblin King- had just shown up and given her a birthday kiss. _What the fuck? _ She snapped back to reality the moment his lips moved against hers. her heart and mind sank, giving in instantly. She opened up to him, amplifying whatever small amount of passion Jareth had initiated and stepped into him. The moment was slow, and was only ended by the feel of Jareth's leather-clad hands cupping her cheeks and pushing her away.

She beamed up at him, truly beamed. Everything seemed so surreal. After so many years, Jareth had just shown up out of no where. So many years of wondering where he was, what he was doing, so much fear of ever finding out how he truly felt about her. And now, here he was, pulling away from the most amazing kiss she'd ever experienced.

Her sparkling expression soon turned to a frown when he started stepping away from her, backing off into the darkness. She reached out and called for him.

"Wait! Jareth- where are you going?" She yelled, almost sounding desperate. He paused in his step, and turned to look her straight in the eye, his gaze narrowed just a bit. "You can't -you can't just leave! You can't just show up after so much time and just leave with no explanation!" She continued. A worried brow joined her frown, surprising her with her own level of franticness. Jareth stood taller, and moved a foot as if to take a step towards her, but otherwise remained still. She shook her head and stomped towards him. "You can't leave me, Jareth. You can't." She said, still shaking her head from side to side. She stopped once she stood before him, planting her feet into the grit of the track in much the same way he was and turned her head skywards to meet his gaze. "You said you're giving me my dream. That means this is a dream. This is my dream, Jareth." She said, with firm resolve.

There may have been a subtle flinch in Jareth's demeanor, but it seemed to go unnoticed. He briefly wondered if she actually knew what she was saying.

"Yes, this is your dream, Sarah." He said, warily it seemed. Sarah pursed her lips as she glared at him, trying to cover the fact that she was holding back tears. Feeling her wall about to break, she bit her lower lip and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him as if she were hanging on for dear life. At first, Jareth didn't know how to respond. He held his arms suspended out around her, not sure if he should reciprocate her gesture.

"This is my dream. I don't want you to leave. You can't leave me. I don't want to wake up." She whimpered. Something struck Jareth hard then. He was starting to believe she was just as aware of what was going on as he was, but why was she behaving this way? Saying these things? Surely she didn't mean them?

"Why?" He asked, Sarah's grip around his torso tightened.

"Because I don't want to be alone."

Jareth paused, a little shocked, or caught of guard at the very least. What?

"You're not alone, Sarah." He didn't understand. If she knew this was a dream, and wanted him to stay, then she knew he would also be there when she woke up anyway. What was going on exactly?

"Yes, yes I am. This is my dream. You're the Jareth I want. If you leave and I wake up, I'll be with him. The real you. And I'll be alone. I don't want to be alone."

Jareth could feel the slight tremble moving through her arms as she spoke. It was like she was afraid, afraid of waking up, of having to see _him_ again. A realization hit him, that she thought that just because this was a dream it meant that he was a figment of her imagination as well. What's more, she actually_ wanted_ to be with him -the version from her dreams. He didn't know which hurt worse, thinking that she down right hated him, or knowing that she wanted a different version of himself -someone that wasn't really him, that he would never be. He pushed her away and brought his hands to cup her face once more.

"You're never alone, Sarah." He said, and pulled her up onto her toes so he could kiss her once more.

* * *

Sarah rolled in her sleep, causing the blanket she'd been draped with to fall down her torso. She shivered with its absence, and slowly blinked herself awake. The first thing she saw was the light from the window. It was bright this morning, birds and other Underground creatures chirped and sang from the outside world. She stretched out for a moment, and smiled when she realized she wasn't wrapped around Jareth. At the same time, the thought alarmed her. Where was he? Was his absence good or bad? She focused her eyes on her surroundings and sat up on her hands. She started looking around the room when she spotted the answer to her question.

Jareth was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing away from her. He was staring down -at the floor? Regardless, he didn't look up when she stirred. He looked -preoccupied. Sarah gave him a groggy scowl. The crease in his brow made him look like he was sitting in time out or something, muttering curse words under his breath like a scorned child.

"Well that was certainly...interesting." He said, cryptically, after a long pause. Sarah's eyes went from him, off to the side and then down in her lap. _Shit- he was in that dream? That's...not good. _ She thought and slowly rose her eyes back up to him. She knew it was a dream...why did she think that wasn't the Real Jareth? Of course it would be, he'd been invading her dreams every night since he'd taken her. And yet he acted the way she wanted him to act, the way _Dream Jareth _would have acted. Why bother putting on such a show? She narrowed her eyes on him then. _Why is he way down there? _ She observed. She didn't respond to his statement, and simply looked away. "I take it that's the night you would have preferred?...in part." He asked, and actually turned to look at her. Sarah rolled her eyes and threw herself back into the mattress. If he was fishing for some kind of reaction, she wouldn't give him one. She was too drained to fight this morning, choosing instead to wield the weapon of indifference.

"That's the _you_ I would have preferred." She grumbled, and closed her eyes as if to fall back asleep. There was no use in denying the context of her dream, he knew it as well as she did. It was best to come off as aloof.

"Well, progress is progress." He said. Sarah snapped one eye open. The tone of his voice changed dramatically just then. He was back to his usual self. Now would be a good time to be angry. _What is that supposed to mean?_

"Might I ask what it is you're doing here? You show up every morning, is this how it's going to be? I thought you were a king, don't you have duties, obligations to attend to?" She snarled and glared at him from the safety of her pillow. It was a little strange, she wasn't afraid and hardly wary of him this morning. Jareth's mellow expression curled up in a sneer. He leaned over and crawled up on the bed. Sarah rolled on her side. He was already too close to try and get away, but at least she didn't have to face him.

"Actually..." He started, and moved to straddle her. "No, this is not how it will be. As I plan to have you warming my bed every morning, there will be no reason for me to venture here to wake you. As for my obligations, you are one of them. The most important of which at the moment." He said. Sarah glared into the sheets, and remained a stone beneath him.

"Could you please not touch me?" She asked. Jareth stared at her for a moment. He was expecting another riled fight this morning, and was actually a little disappointed by her lack of fire. What was wrong with her?

"I believe you just made a request of me. What, no demands? Something must be wrong. Are you feeling alright, Sarah?" He asked. He was a little confused, he was laying full out against her and she hadn't so much as tensed. Her lack of offense was nice, but it was disarming also.

"I'm asking you, Jareth, please, just stay out of my dreams." She asked. Her voice was low, and soft, like all the fight had been stolen from her. Jareth drew his brow on her profile, she wouldn't look at him.

"Why? You have quite the imagination." He asked. The echo of his own voice made himself aware that he was purposefully goading her. Why? She sighed, and glared more intently into the sheets.

"Because it's the only place where I can escape you." She said, hoping that her honesty would have a more beneficial impact on him. Jareth cocked his head to one side. He was angered by her words, maybe even offended, but he was too engrossed in her strange behavior to act on it.

"Sarah, I'm with you even in your dreams." He pointed out. Sarah closed her eyes briefly, as if swallowing some distasteful retort for his expense. His scowl intensified. He didn't like the look on her face.

"Maybe, but you'll never be the man _from_ my dreams." She said, cold and sharp.

Jareth stared for a moment. Her words...they bore into him in a way he hadn't expected. He actually felt...hurt, pained by them. He wasn't expecting it, that kind of feeling. He'd been having so much fun in their little game, he hadn't thought much outside of it. The fact that one simple sentence held such volume within him made him angry. From the night he'd first visited Sarah, he'd told himself that no matter how much this was about her, it wasn't about her. He was being foolish. He had a mission, a goal, and now that the barrier was gone he wouldn't let anything stand in his way, especially his own emotions. There was a time for all of that, but it wasn't now, not with his goal so close at hand.

"That's because I am more than you could ever dream of." He said and was secretly glad she kept her stare away from him, his glare would give away his true feeling. Sarah huffed and shook her head. He was so arrogant.

"Don't sound so sure, I have quite the imagination after all." She said, distastefully. Jareth sneered down at her. His hands were tightening around the blankets concealing her, and threatened to inch their way to her neck and force her to look at him. For some reason, it was that that was what wound him up the most -that she wouldn't look at him. It was like she was in fact looking down on him. Who was she that made her so superior all of the sudden?

"If you require any sort of affirmation, I would be only too happy to oblige." He said. His voice was strained, like he was having a hard time holding back. He expected Sarah to tense, to flinch, become aggressive, anything. But still, she remained a statue.

"I'll keep that in mind." She muttered, and closed her eyes once more. Jareth almost snarled._ She's dismissing me? Disrespectful little- _

"I don't appreciate this tone of yours, Sarah." He said, in warning. It was the only one he was going to give her. Sarah opened her eyes again and rolled onto her back, so that they were face to face, apparently unaffected by their intimate proximity. She looked at him, with an unreadable expression and sighed. Jareth's eyes were hard. He was confused and wary by the look on her face, but he wasn't about to back down.

Sarah stared for a long while, or it seemed long to her anyway. During her whole conversation with Jareth, she hadn't really been paying attention to him. Her thoughts were scattered around _Dream Jareth._ Deep down, she knew she wanted him, but it was the version from her dreams she desired not the bipolar madman looming over her. It was strange, looking him in the eye now. They looked the same, sounded the same...felt the same. But they weren't the same, and he had offered her a clear reminder of that flat out. Why? Why couldn't things be different? Even if they could, did she want to give in? Would her pride allow her to submit to him? Even for the sake of her own happiness? No. But, pretending might make life easier for the long run. Hmm... She hadn't thought of that. As she stared into Jareth's hard gaze, she thought to give it a try. If pretending to submit meant getting him off her back, then she was willing to swallow some pride for the sake of her own wellbeing.

"I...I'm sorry." She said. The sound was soft, yet held volumes between them.

"What?" Jareth almost spat, and seemed to go even more offensive.

"I'm just...feeling kind of crabby this morning. I apologize." She elaborated -mostly true. Jareth's eyes narrowed on her, suspicion pouring heavily out of them. She could feel the tension he exuded into the blanket. He was angry, but he hadn't touched her yet. That was good.

"You don't mean that. But it's a step." Jareth said, after a moment and moved off of her. Sarah's eyes followed him, completely indifferent to the fact that she had gotten her way. Maybe he was in a bit more docile mood after last night's encounter as well? Or was it because of her awkward dream? Though she did feel a certain level of indifference this morning, she hadn't lied when she said she was in a sour mood. She wanted nothing more than for him to leave so she could hide under the blankets and sleep the day away. Chances were, she wasn't going to get her wish.

Sarah sat up in bed, and placed her hands in her lap.

"So, what do you have planned for me today?" She asked. Jareth rose from the bed and began to pace around it, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves along the way.

"Well, confirming your earlier question, I have duties to which I must attend." He said, and paused. It looked like his eyes caught on something, but he recovered quickly and looked away. Sarah tilted her head slightly.

"Ok...so why did you come and wake me up then?" She asked.

"I didn't. You woke up all on your own." He answered, dismissively. Sarah scowled. _ He would have let me go on sleeping? What was he doing? Just watching me? Invading my dreams to no end? Was he looking for something in my head? Creep._ She thought.

"Alright. Well, since I'm not needed till later, I'm going back to bed." She said, and thumped herself into the mattress. Jareth turned and smirked.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" He asked. His lips curled up in half a smirk, but something in his voice betrayed how unsure he felt. Sarah stared into her pillow. She heard a level of concern in his voice, though she admitted it was most likely due to her break in morning ritual of trying to bite his head off that set him off balance rather than true and honest care.

"Now that you mention it, no. I'm feeling a little homesick, actually. Can't imagine why, though." She said, light and sarcastically. A true sneer finally set on Jareth's lips; maybe she was still in there after all.

"In that case, I'll leave you to rest. I'll be back for you in the afternoon." He said, and walked away from the bed to disappear around the corner.

Sarah blinked at the now empty room. That went...so much smoother than before. She almost couldn't believe it. Was he just in a hurry, or was it something else? She laid back down and closed her eyes, determined not to waste her precious alone time thinking about Jareth and instead tried to focus on something less infuriating.

* * *

Sarah sighed into her pillow. She'd been tossing and turning for what felt like hours. She'd tried to sleep, but she couldn't get Jareth's damn proclamation out of her head._ I'm with you even in your dreams... Damn him. Why did he have to go and ruin the one haven I had left?_ Even Dream Jareth had been tainted by those words. She felt dirty and wrong, but couldn't stop the dreams from formulating. Maybe he was sending them to her? Or maybe she just had a lot on her mind... either way, her lazy morning was turning out to be quite the hassle.

She sighed a second time, and felt instantly settled -like the flick of a switch. She didn't question it, and snugged further into blankets, determined to gain some means of sleep, when a disturbance broke through the sound barrier.

Sarah snapped her eyes open. She could see a clock on the wall out of the corner of her eye. It was only eleven, Jareth shouldn't be back yet. Tiny alarm bells went off in the back of her mind, but they were clouded. She sat up and looked around, and gasped when she saw a familiar elegant figure looming by the window.

"Holy -Liana? Shit. You startled me." Sarah spat, but her surprise quickly melted away as her eyes caught the strange woman.

She was standing with her back to her. Her auburn hair was pulled back into one long cascade of curl. Her dress was white today, and looked like it was made of giant flower peddles. She turned to glance over her shoulder, and smiled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sarah. I didn't mean to disturb you." She said. Her angelic smile lit up the entire room. Sarah shrank in her spot, remembering her and Jareth's miscommunication about them being married, and her own ridiculous jealousy over the matter. She felt silly.

"Um...can I ask what it is you're doing in my room?" Sarah asked, and tried to sound as innocent as possible and hide just how weirded out she was by Liana's surprise appearance. It was one thing when Jareth showed up, but she didn't even know who this woman was.

Liana's brow shot up in surprise, and she smiled bashfully with her own embarrassment. Sarah gawked. Why was this woman in Jareth's castle again?

"Oh, dear, my apologies. I thought we might have lunch together, but you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you, though you stirred before I had the chance to leave." She said. Sarah pursed her lips and looked over her cotton nightgown clad self with another wave of embarrassment.

"I- I'm sorry, I'd love to have lunch with you, but I'm not even dressed yet." She said with a shrug. Liana turned fully and smiled even broader.

"That's alright, I can wait. Or, we can dine in your current state, I don't mind." She said, and lightly stepped her way over towards the lounge area of the room. Sarah watched warily, and then quickly gathered herself from the bed and headed towards the dressers. After snatching a random bundle of clothing, she poked her head around the corner and called out-

"I'll just be a few minutes." And then skipped into the bathroom.

She emerged ten minutes later in yet another pants and boots outfit. She tried her best not to think of Jareth's words regarding her apparel from the previous night. Liana was patiently perched on the edge of a chair, with her hands politely folded in her lap.

"Don't you look lovely." Liana said, with another million dollar smile. Sarah's eyes darted for a minute.

"Uh, thank you?" She said, and sat in the chair adjacent Liana's. "I apologize for keeping you waiting...I wasn't expecting any visitors." She said, trying to mimic Liana's posture. The mysterious woman smiled and fluttered her eye lashes.

"Sarah, don't apologize. I am the intruder after all." She said, and turned to look down at the table. Sarah watched as she waved a hand over its surface -just like Jareth had- and a plate donned with small, what looked to be turkey sandwiches, appeared before them.

"Are those...turkey sandwiches? With lettuce, tomato, mayo and bacon?" Sarah asked, highly amused and a little curious by Liana's very specific choice.

"Yes." Sarah shook her head.

"How-" She started to ask, but was interrupted.

"Lucky guess?" Liana said, giving her a soon to be trademark smile. Sarah couldn't help but smile back and reached out for the finger food. They weren't quiet for long before Sarah sought to get straight to the point.

"Liana? I don't mean to be blunt, but who are you?" Sarah asked. Liana sucked on her thumb before responding.

"I'm a friend." She answered. The aloofness of her answer was masked by the genuineness of her expression. Sarah focused her eyes more intently on her.

"Ok, but who are you? Who are you to Jareth? Why are you in his castle? And how do I know I can trust you?" She knew she shouldn't just blindly trust this woman. She knew she should be suspicious. But for some reason...she just wasn't. And deep down, she knew she should be concerned with her level of acceptance of this mysterious stranger, but she just...wasn't. Liana paused to look up at her.

"I've known His Majesty for a very long time. I know what he has planned for you, and from one girl to another, I just want to help you. Not just to survive, but to live as well. As far as proof I am not deceiving you for some ulterior motive, I am not asking you to make any deals or play any games. All I ask is your time and company." She said. Sarah's gaze drifted away, and she nodded as if she understood. Did this woman really just want to be gal pals? Was Jareth really so awful that some random woman sought to take pity on her? And that still didn't explain what she was doing lurking about his castle, why she obviously talked to him about personal matters. Who is she? She continued to maul over her connection to Jareth as she gnawed on her sandwich.

"How did you know this was my room?" Sarah decided to ask, mostly because she felt she should say something and avoid an awkward silence.

"I know my way around the castle." She answered.

"I thought you were Jareth's wife when we first met...it seems silly now. I should have just asked you, but I was too embarrassed I guess.." Sarah muttered, distractedly. Liana's brow shot up.

"Married? Me? To the Goblin King?" She asked, with just as much disbelief as Jareth had. Sarah furrowed her brow. They didn't seem to like each other very much. Liana glanced over to see the worried look on Sarah's face and quickly recovered. "Forgive me, Sarah, but mine and His Majesty's relationship is strictly business." She said with lingering amusement.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked. Liana ceased her giggling before she answered.

"I assist His Majesty with affairs he is unable to manage." She said, curtly. Sarah continued to look puzzled.

"Affairs he's unable to manage? Like what? Are you more powerful than him?" Sarah asked. Liana took in a shallow breath, there were only so many ways she could answer those questions.

"I wouldn't say I'm more powerful...we're just privy to two different forms of magic." She explained. Sarah nodded.

"I don't understand. There's different forms of magic?"

"Yes." Sarah pursed her lips.

"Would you be willing to explain it to me, please?" She asked, more specifically. Liana rested her hands in her lap, as if preparing for a long speech.

"His Majesty is a very powerful being. But you know that." She started, giving Sarah a small curl of the lips. "He is capable of doing almost anything, whereas I am capable of doing everything." The wording of her statement mixed with the small flare in her eyes made Sarah's back straighten. Maybe there was a reason Jareth didn't want her alone with this woman. If she was more powerful than Jareth...

"I'm afraid I still don't understand."

"Maybe an example will better explain." Liana said and turned towards the table. She waved a hand over it and a lone cup of tea miraculously appeared. Sarah waited for something, but she did nothing.

"Tea?" Sarah asked, hoping that would get a move on. Liana blinked up and smiled.

"Yes, tea. His Majesty has the power to manipulate reality, to bend it and even break it. But he can not create it. For instance, let's pretend I am His Majesty. If I were to conjure you this cup of tea here, what do you think is actually happening?" She asked. Sarah gaped a moment. _How the hell should I know?_

"Uhhm, I have no idea." She said, more politely than her thoughts. Liana took her words as a signal to continue.

"Well, I can explain that the cup of tea didn't just spontaneously appear. This cup would have already existed, stored somewhere within the castle or anywhere within the material world. The tea would have been preexisting as well, either already brewed or in its dry form. With His Majesty's magic, he can take these different elements of reality and combine them into something else, a cup, a tea leaf, and water, perhaps located from the very same room or each from the far corners of the world. He can combine these solitary elements to make a new entity. The hot brewing cup of tea you see before you." The look on Sarah's face said Liana had all of her attention, but she was still wrought with confusion.

"How is that different from you, then?" She asked. Liana smiled something dark. It reminded her of one of Jareth's expressions. Maybe it was a Fae thing. She was a Fae -right?

"You see, while His Majesty draws from elements within reality, I am able to create the elements themselves. When I conjure a cup of tea, I take no preexisting elements. The cup, the tea, the water, I am able to draw from raw magic to create matter itself, rather than molding preexisting matter into something new." She said and reached down to take hold of the cup. She raised it to her lips and took a small sip before turning to glance at Sarah. "Does that help you understand?" She asked.

Sarah thought a moment. Liana's example made sense, but she figured it was actually a lot more complicated than that, and wondered _why?_ Why did this woman have access to that kind of power and not Jareth? And why did he need her help? What went on in this world that he and all his might couldn't handle?

"Yes, it does actually. ...So, you help Jareth then? You're friends?" She asked, just trying to put one of the million pieces together.

"I wouldn't say that."

"But...but you talk to him...late at night. You stay in his castle. You knew about me. You said you tried telling him not to take me. I don't know..that just seems kind of personal to me." She realized how ridiculous she must sound and trailed off. Liana reached out and clasped Sarah's hand.

"We have a very strict arrangement with one another. We've been...partners for a very long time Sarah. We are familiar, but that does not mean we have any sort of friendship. My duty is to this world, not to him." She said, compelling Sarah to calm down just a little.

Sarah let out a breath. It was strange...she felt more at ease all of the sudden.

"Then why are you helping me?"

"Because I want to. And because you need it. As one who knows His Majesty, I can sympathize with your situation." The tone of the second half of her statement heightened Sarah's attention once more. She looked worried now. _Great, someone else's pity, just what I need._ She grumbled to herself.

"How can you help me? I'm guessing by giving me some more friendly advice on how to handle him since you seem to know how he works?" She asked, recalling their last conversation about picking battles and playing games.

"Precisely." Liana answered, squeezing Sarah's hand just a bit.

"Alright. You told me to pick my battles. I can sense that's going to be a tough one, considering how much he pisses me off. And the whole playing games thing...I don't think I'm manipulative enough to go up against him..." Sarah said, and glanced down to her and Liana's hand resting in her lap.

"You don't give yourself enough credit." Something about Liana's demeanor shifted just then, as if she were radiating waves of energy directly to Sarah. It was a strange feeling...rattling her and making her uncomfortable.

"I just don't know what to do. I have nothing, nothing to go at him with. He has every advantage." She said, rolled her head in an exasperated gesture. Her heart quickened for some reason, like she was experiencing an adrenaline spike.

"You are your own advantage, Sarah." Liana said. There was a pause.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, catching the spark in Liana's eye and forgetting her strange palpitations for the moment.

"I know you're upset over the circumstances, but you need to broaden your view of the situation. He took you here, he's marrying you."

"He kidnapped me, threatened me, is forcing me to marry him-"

"Because he wants you, Sarah." Liana's words seemed to echo for a moment, before Sarah shook free of them.

"He doesn't want me. He wants to fuck with me. He wants revenge." She said, sounding so sure of herself.

"I thought I told you to call his bluffs." Again, Sarah paused.

"What bluff?" She asked.

"He wants _you_, Sarah. You have something he wants, and that gives you the advantage. Use it to your benefit." Liana said, rather darkly, which was odd to see since her face was the pinnacle of everything that was good and kind.

"I don't understand. How am I supposed to do that? If I defy him he'll just hurt me, or assault me, or do something to me that will inevitably result in him getting what he wants anyway. I'm not strong, I don't have magic, I'm all alone in this world. I can't win against him." She shook her head in despair.

"So, you're just going to give up then?" Liana asked and squeezed Sarah's hand harder. Sarah's head darted up then, there was an instant fire in her eyes and she felt her heart quicken once again.

"No. No matter what, I'll never stop fighting him. I don't care what he does to me. I'll never give in. I'll never submit. He will never get what he wants." Their eyes locked for a moment. Sarah felt something strange pass between them...a force. There was a connection, thick and palpable, sparking spontaneously. It didn't last long, but for a split second Sarah felt...strong, she felt powerful. The look in Liana's eye...it was...dare she say -conniving?

"That's good. Don't ever stop fighting him, Sarah. That is perhaps the most important piece of advice I could ever give you. Your will is just as strong as his. Never forget that." The darkness in her eyes gave her a sharpness that was as deadly as a razor-bade. It was like her mask of bubbly smiles had slipped to reveal something...else. Sarah began to narrow her eyes and force herself to concentrate. Something wasn't right.

The look in Liana's eye seemed to draw Sarah deeper and deeper, and at the same time, she felt herself drifting away. She frowned, and withdrew her hand from Liana's, breaking the connection instantly.

"But what kind of life is that? An eternity of fighting...what if I just want to be happy?" By the time Sarah brought her gaze back to Liana, her expression was significantly softer. The mask was back on, as if it had never slipped in the first place.

This was the crux of Sarah's dilemma. She was more than willing to hate and fight Jareth until the day she died, but was that the life she really wanted? Was she being fair to herself to punish herself by actively living that way? Wouldn't things be easier if she just gave in? It seemed her entire backbone was made of solid pride, and in her current situation, she couldn't be more grateful for it. Liana reached out to pat Sarah's knee. She felt the momentary spark return.

"Perhaps in time, I can advise you on that as well." Sarah peered up and locked eyes with Liana once more. There was no pull this time, just a mutual understanding. She gave her a one sided smirk and sighed. They were quiet a moment, before Liana straightened in her seat and tilted her head as if listening for something. Sarah slowly rose from her slump. "I'm sorry, please forgive me, Sarah, but I have to go." She said and immediately stood from her seat. Sarah warily followed. Was Jareth coming back? How could she sense him like that?

"Is it Jareth?" She asked. Liana looked all around the ceiling, like there was something crawling on it, and then visibly relaxed.

"No, just some matters I must see to. Thank you for your company, Sarah." She said, giving her the warmest of smiles. Sarah tried to reciprocate, but she was feeling too low and confused after their last topic of conversation. Liana saw this and frowned. "Sarah...it's really not so bad. If you go looking for all the evil in the world, you will find it." She said, and wrapped Sarah up in a very surprising hug. Sarah practically melted in her arms. What was it about this woman that was so comforting? She felt so warm and safe. The pulse was back, stronger this time, but she found herself utterly unable to fight it -to want to fight it. It made her feel strong, it gave her hope. Why? "For your sake...in the days to come, I suggest you start looking for the good." She said, and then she was gone.

Sarah stood, her arms still suspended in a hugging gesture. She blinked as if escaping a daze, and stepped away from the spot once holding mysterious Liana. She felt so strange, so full of worry and woe, and yet oddly at peace. She sat back down in her chair and looked over the small dining table. The tiny sandwiches and the cup of tea were still there. The site suddenly churned her belly in knots. She felt...flustered all of the sudden. Very flustered in fact. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. _Was is going on?_ She sighed hard, trying to calm down and focused on the table. Her eyes locked on the rim of the cup and became a ground point for her uneasiness. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she began to think over the entire course of their conversation. The rational part of her brain told her not to trust this woman, that there had to be something up her sleeve. But the other side felt nothing but trust and safety from her. She'd gotten a few answers, though not nearly as many as she still needed. She sighed and picked up the cup, playing over Liana last words of wisdom to her._ If you go looking for all the evil in the world, you will find it. For your sake...in the days to come, I suggest you start looking for the good. _ She was right. She knew she was right. If she wanted to survive, wanted to do more than survive, to live, then she had to see the good. She had to be happy. Right now, that very notion seemed preposterous, but the longer she sat, the more she thought. _ Hey, at least I have someone to talk to...maybe even a friend._ She thought, her dazed eyes fixated on the liquid within the cup. _ Look for the good...ok, one step at a time._ She thought, and took a sip.

* * *

Truth be told, Sarah half expected Liana's mysterious magic demo teacup to be spelled or drugged or something, and knowingly drank the whole thing. She was almost disappointed when nothing happened. She didn't know why she was feeling so low today, and it wasn't just from her and Liana's conversation -though that had rilled her in ways she still wasn't sure of yet. There was something digging under her skin, bringing her down. She sat the cup back on the table and looked around her new room.

It was quiet, so damn quiet. And that's when she realized the problem, she was alone. It wasn't that she wanted Jareth's company, in fact, she would have preferred anyone else's company over Jareth's. But, she was in a strange place in a strange world. She had no one, no one but her friends, and they were way out of reach as far as she was concerned. All she had here was Jareth and -now Liana, she supposed. Recollections from her dream started drifting back. She remembered how desperate she was for Dream Jareth not to leave her, so she wouldn't have to wake up and be in the very situation she was now in. That couldn't be a good sign, seeking refuge from your troubles in your dreams? Escaping life through sleep? Surely that was a sign of depression. And what was worse, was that she was so desperate as to plead with Dream Jareth over Real Jareth. She wasn't dreaming about her home or her family or friends. She was dreaming about fucking Jareth. That wasn't right. She shouldn't be looking for haven from the one person who gave her hell, even if it was a fictitious doppelganger.

She sighed, already fed up with the course of her day, and she still had to deal with Jareth when he returned. She rose from her seat and made her way to the bathroom so she could properly freshen up without a rush. She took her time, looking herself over in the mirror as if she could will it into a door back to the Aboveground. After brushing her hair for the hundredth time, she finally turned to trudge out of the bathroom.

Sarah opened the door and froze with her hand still on the handle. She stared, unable to blink. Jareth was back. She wasn't anticipating him to be back yet, wasn't prepared to deal with their next encounter and his presence caught her off guard. He was standing straight across from her, on the other side of the bed next to her vanity. He wasn't looking at her, and paid her no mind. In fact, he looked fully engrossed in whatever it was he was examining in his hands. Sarah's eyes followed the diagonal slant of his nose down to the object in his hands. His expression looked solemn, but Sarah's turned to bat-shit-crazy when she caught sight of what he was holding.

Without thought, Sarah practically leaped across the bed, snarling panic and anger directly at him. He was just starting to look up when she snatched her picture of her and her family from his hands.

"Don't you fucking touch this!" She screamed, not realizing that in her fury she had crumpled the photo further. Jareth rose his brow at her slowly, waiting for her to acknowledge the line she'd just crossed. His eyes soon darkened, he opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "No! You do not touch this. Do you understand? You do not look at it, you do not go anywhere near it." She was actually screaming at him. Screaming like she'd never screamed before. Her face was flushed with fury. Her energy actually caught him off guard. His first reaction was to grab her by the hair and throw her across the room for her disrespect, but his shock and observation kept him from making such a movement.

"Sarah-" He managed to say, and was planning on following up with a lot more, but was cut off once again by her rampage.

"No. Stop. This is - This is all I have left. Don't touch it." She said. It was then that Jareth realized she was on the brink of falling to her knees and sobbing. What in the? Why was she so upset? His brief concern, however, was won over by his own kingly rage.

Ignoring the discomfort he felt from seeing her eminent tears, Jareth stepped forward and took hold of her wrist so hard she winced and lost balance in her knees. For a moment, it was only Jareth's grip on her that held her up.

"How many times do I have to tell you, you do not command me, woman. It seems further discipline will be in order to teach you your place. Secondly, what did I tell you about that vulgar little mouth of yours?" His glare was deadly, and his hand squeezed tighter and tighter until she was forced to let go of the picture. Jareth caught it in his free hand and leaned down so she fell to her knees. "If I want something, I will have it, and I will not stand for any verbal or physical attack by anyone, including you. By any other such an action would result in immediate death. I have been unbelievably kind to you thus far. I could make this life for you a living hell, so I suggest you grow up and stop acting like an insolent child. Do you understand what I am telling you?" He was full on growling at her. His grip on her wrist was so tight her hand was turning purple, but she couldn't feel it anymore.

He glared down at her, ready to rip her apart should she give him one more reason to. Never, ever, did anyone dare speak to him in such a way. He was amazed at his own level of self-restraint towards her. He'd gone off on much less.

Sarah sat on her knees in a crumpled heap. The tears hadn't left her eyes yet, but were pooling so thick they distorted her vision. She whimpered as she gazed up at him. She hadn't cried once since she was taken, telling herself to be strong, not to give him the satisfaction of her breakdown, and yet the very sight of Jareth in possession of her family photo had pushed her over the edge of catatonic in a split second. What the hell was going on with her?

"P-please. Please, don't take it away from me, Jareth." She pleaded. Jareth's eyes narrowed, first on the fact that she had completely disregarded his threats and second on the thick tear that finally broke free and was now streaming down her face. She blinked, and even more tears fell free. "Don't take it from me. Please, Jareth. I'm begging you. It's all I have left. I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I-I-" She stopped herself then, imagining how pitiful she must look to him. His expression hadn't changed, but his aura did a complete 180. She didn't sense his anger anymore. She didn't sense anything. She didn't know if that was good or bad.

Jareth stared her hard in the eyes, contemplating all things diabolical -she was sure- and then released her hand, practically throwing it back at her with disgust. Her other hand immediately started circling her wounded wrist. He then looked to the photo - a snapshot of her, Toby and her mother and father. How had this happened? How did the situation plummet so dramatically so quickly? All he was doing was waiting for her to exit the washroom. He'd spotted it earlier that morning and thought to investigate. He wasn't planning on taking it from her, he was just looking, and she attacked him so viciously without cause. Did she really think he would take it from her? That he was just pointlessly cynical? That he wanted her to suffer? Was she learning nothing from him? Maybe it was time they had a little sit down.

As he examined the photo, he saw the square creases from where she had folded it and the crumples from when she had snatched it from his hands. He looked back down to her, with black hooded eyes, making sure she was watching before he took the paper and ripped it in two.

The look on Sarah's face said she could have just witnessed an entire genocide within a split second. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth gaped in utter disbelief. She stared, bore into Jareth with a look more painful than anything he'd ever seen. And it was all over a picture.

Ignoring Sarah's despair, yet not taking his eyes off hers, he then took the two ripped halves and crumpled them in his hands. He let Sarah stew for a moment, before unclasping his hands and flicking the photo down at her with sheer distaste. It landed in her lap. She took hold of it like she didn't believe it was real, and scanned her eyes over it in a panicked frenzy. Her photo -the one Jareth had just torn and crumpled before her very eyes- it was...it was good as new, completely square and in one piece. Not only that, all the creases and blemishes were gone. It was stiff and the color was vibrant, the crease mark over Toby's face completely erased.

When she fully realized what Jareth had done -the undertone of what he had done, she lowered her head and sagged into herself. He was still looming over her, waiting. She felt ashamed, rightfully ashamed for her brashness. Obviously, he wasn't going to take it from her...he was just looking at it. _Stupid! Stupid! Get a grip, Sarah! What the hell is wrong with you! You just snapped at and ordered Jareth!_ _What the hell is wrong with you? Didn't I just get done telling myself to be smart? _After her embarrassment and shame subsided, a low wave of fear started to creep over her. Jareth was still waiting, obviously waiting for her to understand what she had done and what he had done in response. She gripped the picture between her fingers, afraid to look him in the eye, afraid to look at him at all.

"I'm really sorry...I don't know what got into me. Please, forgive me." She asked, submissively. Yes, she'd just told Liana she would never stop fighting, never submit, but this was different. She had been the one out of place this time, not him.

Jareth stood over her, arms crossed over his chest like he was scolding a child. His glare was unmoving, but he could sense the sincerity in her words. There was much disciplining she needed, but she wouldn't be his to discipline until they were married, so for now, he'd just have to wait.

"If you ever speak to me like that again, I'll chain you in the dungeons and let the Pusher have his way with you. And I assure you, he will not show you the mercy I would. Have I made myself clear?" When it came down to it, he would never hand her over to the Pusher. He would never let another harm a single hair on her head. Any harm he wished her to come to, he would inflict himself. Little mercy was better than no mercy, but she wouldn't understand that.

Sarah tried to subdue the tremble coursing through her body at the thought of being tortured. _He wouldn't really do that to me, would he? That-that's-_

"I said, have I made myself clear!" He snapped, making her jump a mile high into the air. She hid her face behind her hair, not wanting the shame of having him see her cry. The anger and dead blackness in his voice...she'd never been more afraid of as she was in that moment.

"Yes." She answered, as quiet as a mouse.

Jareth knelt down, resting his forearms on his knees, trying to get a better look at her. Not surprisingly, she recoiled. He could see heavy tears falling from behind her hair and narrowed his eyes. He would not give in to this. He reached out and plucked the picture from her hands, and placed it back in its niche in the mirror.

"I'll give you one forewarning. Once we are married, when you misbehave, you will receive more than just a stern lecture. Perhaps you can manage to wrangle some manners by then and avoid such discipline." He said, hoping she understood his undertone. It wasn't that he wanted to hurt her, quite the opposite in fact. But, he wasn't about to give her free reign. She was to be a Queen after all, she had an image to present. If she went around acting like this... And, on a more basic note, he simply would not stand to have her lash out and disrespect him like that. Such behavior was simply unacceptable. She seemed shaken enough with what had happened just then, one good lashing would set her straight for sure. But again, he would rather her simply obey than have to be disciplined to obey. She had a few more days to get herself together before the wedding, once that happened, there would be nothing holding him back.

By this point in Jareth's thought process, he found himself pacing towards the door. He'd had something planned for Sarah today, but this little outburst put a damper on his mood. His new plan was to leave her locked in her room for the rest of the night so he could rationally deal with his anger with her.

He paused halfway through the room, the sound of her crying holding him in place. She was trying to hold it in, probably until he left. He paused, irritated with the sound. He wanted to clear his head and continue out of the room. She wouldn't learn her lesson if he went easy on her, especially in the beginning. But after a moment, he sagged his shoulders and sighed roughly, making the new discovery that he hated the sound of her crying. He rolled his head back as if chastising himself before inwardly groaning and turning on his heel to stalk back into the room.

Sarah was still on the floor, trembling from the effort it took her to hold back the tears. She was ashamed, ashamed with herself for her careless outburst, and ashamed she'd given in, to let him see her break down. _He probably feels so superior right now. Fucking asshole. _

She flinched when he hunkered down beside her, and went rigid when he wrapped her in his arms and cradled her to his chest. Her shivering was almost violent now, combined with her fear of Jareth. He rested his chin at the top of her head and slowly rocked her. He didn't feel like he thought he would. It made him uncomfortable seeing her this way. He wanted her to understand her wrongdoing, to learn now so that it would never happen further down the road -when the consequences would be much worse. But, he didn't want her to fear him, that was completely counter-productive to his plans.

He sighed, realizing that he may have just taken a huge step backward with her and held her a little tighter. He was irritated with himself, for giving in to her so easily. SHe wouldn't learn if he coddled her after she got in trouble. She was the one who had misbehaved, and yet he was inevitably paying the price. All day, he'd been lost in that damn dream of hers. She wanted him, badly. That much was evident, but what she wanted wasn't him. She wanted a perfect, charming, white knight to sweep her off her feet. That's not who he was at all. So while her fantasy may look like him, it wasn't him. And she was right when she said he would never be him.

As he held her on the floor, Jareth realized that there indeed was a much easier way to go about this, one that Sarah had proposed herself -swoon. That damn word. Yes, he could have swooped in and been everything from her dreams, but it wouldn't have been the same. He needed her to fall in love with _him_ after all, not a fake version of himself. Why should he have to change himself in the slightest anyway? Why should he have to pretend? He could have hundreds of woman crooning at his feet, so why would Sarah be any different? He and his pride, up until now, were perfectly confident that they had the ability to seduce and bewitch Sarah just as they were. Sure, it wasn't the easiest or fastest means to an end, but it was the most worth while. To have her love him, all of him, just as he was. That was what he needed for all of this to work, and while he could pretend to be her prince charming, he would never resort to that. It wasn't who he was. He didn't give in and he didn't compromise. His pride wouldn't allow it. No, she would love him just as he was. His arrogance assured that she would give in to him -one day. Therefore, it would be a pointless waste of time to bother pretending, to trick her into submission. If it was a facade she fell in love with, she wouldn't indeed love all of him, just as he was. And besides, deep down, he hoped to gain more than just control of the Labyrinth. No, acquiring that would be so simple, but he wanted more, more than the Labyrinth. He wanted Sarah too. He wanted her. He wanted her love, so that he could give her his.

Jareth wasn't sure how many minutes had passed, but Sarah had hardly calmed down and was still quivering in his arms. It was then that he realized that for the first time she wasn't fighting against him. She was letting him hold her, regardless that it was because she was too afraid to protest, he appreciated the moment all the same. He'd never held her like this before, and found that he didn't want to let go. He brought a hand up to hold her head and nuzzled his nose into her hair.

"Please, stop crying." He murmured. The sound of her fear and sorrow was affecting him much more directly than he wanted. The feeling of discomfort in the pit of his stomach grew the longer she shook and sobbed. He wanted it to stop.

The sound of his voice only made her cry harder. She wanted to run away from him, and at the same time she wanted the comfort that came with being held, regardless that it was he that held her or not. She was so upset, so panicked, and had no idea why. Yes, he'd terrified her, but she knew how to better control herself. The trembling just wouldn't stop.

"Why are you holding me?" Sarah asked.

"Because you're upset." He answered, as if it were really that simple.

"Please. You don't care if I'm upset or not." She said and tried pushing away from him. He only allowed her a few inches or so.

"Of course I do."

Sarah pulled back just enough to meet him in the eye. Her face was wrought with disbelief.

"No, you don't. Do you have no idea what you just did to me? Look at my arm, it's already bruising." She said. Jareth tilted his head like he was having difficulty understanding.

"I know exactly what I have done to you. And of course I care whether or not you're upset. I don't wish to see you like this." It was like waves of baffle were punching Sarah right in the face. Who the hell was this? How could Jareth just shift emotions like the flick of a switch? Only moments before, she thought he was going to beat her to death, and now he looked like he was full of nothing but concern for her.

"Then let me go. Leave, and you won't have to see me like this."

"I'm not leaving until you've calmed down."

"Why, Jareth? After what you just did to me, what you just threatened to do, don't pretend that you actually care about me. If you did you wouldn't hurt me." She said and tried pushing away again. Jareth shifted to take hold of her jaw with his hand.

"Sarah, I don't want to hurt you." He said, staring her straight in the eye. It was quiet a moment. As his eyes bore into hers, he could see fresh tears starting to pool.

"How can you say that to me?" She muttered through clenched teeth. Animosity was slowing filling her gaze. Jareth's expression was stern. She needed to understand before more incidents like this occurred.

"Sarah, I am not the monster you think I am. It is not my desire to cause you pointless pain." He said, keeping his eyes stone on hers.

"You told me you would chain me in the dungeons, that you would hurt me once we're married-"

"No. I gave you a warning, and therefore a means of avoiding such an outcome. I'm not going to hurt you, not if you give me no reason to. And if I do, the decision will have been yours. Not mine." He said. Sarah scowled.

"Why the hell would I want you to hurt me?" She asked.

"Sarah, I've given you the parameters for which you will be disciplined. Defy me, or misbehave, and you will be reprimanded. Obey, and behave, and you will be rewarded. Knowing this, any punishment I give you will be given with your previous knowledge and consent. In other words, if you choose to upset me, it is at your own risk, as you know the consequences. That is what I meant by warning you." He explained.

"Is it really just that black and white to you? Do you have no compassion at all?" She asked, unwilling to believe he could really be that bullheaded.

"Sarah, I just said it is not my wish to hurt you. But, I will not stand for this kind of behavior. All I ask is your obedience and respect. Fail to do so and you will be punished. It is my desire that you learn this now and save both of us a lot of wasted time and misery in the future." His voice was level, completely devoid of the compassion Sarah had just questioned.

"If you felt any kind of misery you wouldn't hurt me in the first place. If you cared about me at all you wouldn't have practically broken my hand. If you cared about how I felt you would let go of me and leave me be." She said, pushing a little harder against him.

"I'm not leaving you while you're upset." He reaffirmed. Sarah stared hard into his eyes. He was being completely sincere. It was insane.

"What is this?" She asked, now aggravated. "How can you possibly be acting like this? You were so angry with me just now, and now you're what, perfectly fine? Trying to comfort me and telling me you care? What the hell is up with you?" _Be one or the other, not both._ Her mind was screaming at him. If he was going to be despicable then he should be despicable, not try to make it all better afterwards. She knew the signs of an abusive relationship, full of push and pull, bumps and bruises and a whole lot of mind fuck. That was not a cycle she wanted to start. He should either be kind, or not, not bounce between the two. But regardless of all that, she highly doubted her relationship with Jareth would be anything but abusive.

"I hold no grudges with you, Sarah. You behaved poorly just now, and you were punished. It is finished. I do not hold you in any contempt past that. Should you misbehave again, you will be punished for that as well. Once it is done, we can move on. There is no need to dwell on it." He tried to explain.

"You expect me to just get over it? Move on like it never happened? No, Jareth. I will not just move on. You hurt me, scared the living shit out of me. And now you expect me to believe everything is alright?" _ Is this really how it's going to be? And it will be worse once we're married? How can he hurt me and then think nothing of it? How can he do what he just did to me and then try to comfort me afterwards? Who the hell does he think he is?_

"Everything_ is_ alright." He answered, hoping that she would just accept this and make life a little easier.

"No, Jareth. Everything is not alright. Nothing is alright. This isn't right. This is wrong. How can you not see that?" She gave him one final push, and was surprised when he actually let go. She stumbled to her feet and backed away, still running circles around her wrist. Jareth soon followed.

"Sarah, if you would look past the pain you would see that you will only be in it when you willingly defy me. Simply abstain from this behavior and you will experience none of it. It's as simple as that." He said and took a step towards her. She backed away, and paused once the bed hit the back of her knees. She couldn't help but notice just how calm and collected he was being.

"Forgive me for not understanding your logic, but where I come from any kind of abuse is bad. It doesn't matter the reasoning behind it. Please, please just leave me be." She pleaded. On a basic note, what he was saying made sense to her, in a weird, medieval, fucked-up way, but she in no way agreed with it. If this was really how it was going to be between them, she needed some time to wrap her head around it -like the next hundred thousand years. And even then, she would still be outraged.

Sarah found herself dazed for a moment as she thought over her imminent future. Liana's words kept floating back to her, telling her to fight, to never get up. But how could she? How could she possibly stand a chance when he could rip her down so easily? It was like he was leaving her no other choice but to give up. And then something else chimed through. _You have something he wants, Sarah. That gives you the advantage. Use it to your benefit. _ She played those words over and over in her mind. _He wants me... _She told herself, trying to dissect the inner possibility of those words. _He's marrying me, not making me a slave...he says he cares... _ On and on these thoughts went, trying to pick apart every encounter she and Jareth had had. _ He wants me...use it to my advantage..._

With her head still lowered, she peered up through her lashes. Jareth was staring at her, and she realized her mental turmoil had only processed within a few seconds. She rose her chin to look him square in the eye.

"I'll say it one more time, I'm not leaving." Jareth said. She narrowed her eyes a bit.

"So what would happen if I ordered you to leave? If I started cursing and told you to get the fuck out? Would you punish me? Hurt me again?" She asked, sharply. Jareth tensed just a bit, and he narrowed his eyes in turn.

"You would be punished. But not for what you say, but for purposefully goading me. I don't recommend putting yourself in harms way, Sarah. It won't be good for either of us." He said, in warning. Sarah pursed her lips.

"And once it's done, you'll carry on like it never happened?" She was full on glaring now.

"Unless you would like me to hold onto every little mistake, misdemeanor and indiscretion you make. A grudge, I can assure you, is not something you want from me." He replied. His demeanor was relatively light, but his gaze was still dark.

"I don't want anything from you." She snapped, the anger and hurt in her eyes bore into him hard.

Something changed then. Sarah was readying herself for another fight, but something about Jareth changed then. The darkness subsided, and the tension in his shoulders left him. He looked...tired. Tired of her? Tired of fighting? Regardless, she was wary when he took another step to close the gap between them. He stood before her, and rose both his hands to hold either side of her head. He then lowered his own and pressed his mouth to the crown of her head in a kind of half-kiss, and sighed.

"I hope that one day...you won't mean that." He said, sounding utterly exhausted. Sarah flinched and shook away from him, already glaring by the time their eyes met.

"Don't. Please, just don't." She said, and huffed at the blank look in Jareth's eyes. "Why do you do this? Why do you act so horrible to me and then act so tender and dare I say -nice? I have no idea how to handle you. I don't know how to act or react. Are you cruel? Or are you not? Please, just pick one, I don't care which, because I can't handle this." She said and waved her hands in the air before scooting out from him and away from the bed. She didn't know where she was going, but found herself pacing towards the door.

Jareth paused, and drew his brow on her receding form. What? He turned to follow after her.

"Sarah, stop." He commanded, to his surprise, she listened. Though the way she fisted her hands at her sides did not go unnoticed.

"Ok, I stopped. Is this what you want? Me to follow your every command like a slave? Or do you just want the satisfaction of having me obey you? So you can reward me for good behavior, like a pet?" She snarled. Jareth was about to approach her, but she beat him to it by storming her way back to him. "Is that what I am to you, Jareth? A pet? Something for your own amusement and satisfaction?" She asked, jabbing a finger at him. Jareth eyed her warily, and pushed her finger away.

"No." He said, and nothing more. Sarah's glare intensified. He was about to continue, when something caught his eye over her shoulder. The dining table, there was food and drink on it. How did that get there? Then something clicked. "Sarah, did you have any visitors this afternoon?" He asked, changing the subject completely.

Sarah blinked, and blinked again. _What the hell? _ She was right on the edge from screaming at him again, consequences be damned. It took her a minute to recompose. She shook her head and looked over her shoulder, putting her anger on pause.

"Uhh..yea. Liana wanted to have lunch with me." She said, with a furrowing brow -secretly hoping giving him knowledge of Liana would rile him up a bit. She watched him intently for a moment, confused as to why Jareth would switch their conversation so drastically. She looked up to see him staring on, contemplatively. After a moment, he looked down and tilted his head as if examining her. The darkness in his eyes dissipated completely.

Jareth pieced two and two together rather quickly. He was wondering what had set her off, why she was acting so radical. It only made sense that Liana had seen her. The Labyrinth's words to him regarding their connection started to come back, leading him to conclude that Sarah's unstable burst of emotion and energy was undoubtedly the result of her close proximity to the source of her power. As he thought, he made another realization. If Sarah fed more directly from the Labyrinth the closer they were, then she would be having outbursts like this more and more often. What's more, is that a stronger connection meant a stronger possibility that she could awaken her powers herself. That was not good. It was then that he wondered if that was the very reason Liana had conceded to let Jareth steal her from the Aboveground so easily.

His anger left him immediately, now gravely concerned with the intentions of Liana. Sarah's outburst wasn't her fault, it was Liana's manipulation. He couldn't stop the Labyrinth from seeing Sarah, he had no bound on her, and it was evident that the spirit was determined to see Sarah -often. He needed to sort things out. He needed to figure out the Labyrinth's true intentions. More importantly, he needed to keep Sarah away from her.

"I see..." Jareth murmured, his eyes caught on the table behind her. Sarah shifted uncomfortably, not sure what exactly had changed his mood.

Ignoring her confusion, and his own anger long forgotten, he stepped around her towards the table. She turned in her spot to watch him. He stopped before the table, and his eyes scanned over it like it was some kind of trap. After a moment, he brought his hand to wave over the surface, clearing all of its contents along the way. She felt an urge to start snapping her fingers at him. Weren't they just in the middle of a fight a second ago?

She watched as he then moved away from the table to stand by the fire. She shook her head, confounded. Yet another mood swing, and he still hadn't responded to her question. She folded her arms over her chest.

"What are you doing?" She asked, noticing the fire grow as he stared at it. He moved away to sit in a nearby couch before responding.

"I'd like you to join me for a moment." He said, not bothering to look at her. Sarah's paused anger was starting to be overpowered by wary confusion. She was too cautious to snap at him, and instead listened to sit at the opposite end of the couch. _See, I can listen. I can pick my battles...kind of._ She told herself. She stared at him for a moment. He was still staring at the fire. His arm rested against the arm of the couch, and his hand supported his chin as his index finger tapped against his lips. "Sarah-" He started. The tone of his voice implied that what ever he was about to say was very serious. She still didn't understand, she'd rather go back to fighting. "What did you and Liana discuss during your lunch?" He asked, finally turning his head to look at her. Sarah's back stiffened. Why was he so serious all of the sudden? Something must really be up if he forgot their fight so easily.

"Magic, mostly." She answered, too afraid to dare lying to him.

"Care to explain?" He probed. The intensity in his eyes alarmed her. Was there a reason for this? Maybe she was right in not trusting Liana?

"She told me you two have different kinds of magic, and explained how it worked."

"Why would she tell you that?" He asked. Sarah squirmed.

"I asked her who she was, since she's obviously not your wife n' all." She said, trying to come of as nonchalant.

"And what did she say?"

"That she's your...business parter? She helps you take care of things..." She trailed off. Jareth eyed her down for another moment or two, thinking.

"You shouldn't trust her, Sarah." He said. Now that was unexpected. She thought that maybe he would be angry for her speaking with her again. But on a lesser note, Jareth, the King of deception, was telling her not to trust someone.

"Because I can trust you?" She asked, sarcastically. Jareth shifted to face her fully and moved a little closer. HIs face was deadly serious.

"You may not trust me, Sarah, but you know my intentions; and while you may not feel safe with me, you know -deep down- that I will protect you from all others. What do you know of Liana?" He asked. Sarah was taken back a bit. Those were her thoughts exactly.

"Why shouldn't I trust her?" She asked, wondering why he hadn't simply banned her from seeing the woman if he didn't think she was safe. Maybe it was the power thing? Perhaps he couldn't stop her...now that thought was interesting.

"Put your anger for me aside. Not trusting me is no reason for you to trust her, just keep that in mind." He warned, and turned back to face the fire.

Sarah sat like a statue. Jareth was giving her advice? On Liana? On trust? And he was being so calm about it all of the sudden? What changed? Where was the anger? The threats? The false compassion?

"Jareth?" She asked. For some reason she really wanted to continue their argument, to resolve it in some way. They way things were now, it felt like there was one monster of an elephant in the room, brooding directly at her. "You didn't answer my question." She added.

"I don't have an answer." He snapped, leaving her wondering which question they were both referring to.

* * *

The rest of the night progressed very awkwardly for Sarah. Jareth didn't leave, he wouldn't. She didn't know what to do with herself. She still had so many issues that she wanted to scream at Jareth about, but she was too weirded out by his new demeanor to say a single word. Secretly, she thanked the awkwardness. After Jareth's warning, she knew where her temper would get her, and was glad because this awkward silence had successfully snuffed it out for the night. He was obviously done speaking with her on the matter, so she would have to reside for another day.

As the hours passed, Sarah found herself growing more and more antsy. She didn't dare move from her spot on the couch, and couldn't help but stare at Jareth -who for the past few hours or so, had sat in the same position, staring at the fire, and not saying a single word. What was he still doing here? How long would he stay and not speak to her? What if she wanted to go to bed? Or had to go to the bathroom? Finally, when the sun had set and her tiny frantic mind could take no more, she spoke up.

"Jareth?" She asked. His brow rose as if he'd completely forgotten she were there.

"Yes?" He asked. She looked down and fidgeted her hands in her lap.

"What are you still doing here?" He turned his head fractionally to look at her.

"Absolutely nothing." He answered. Sarah frowned and looked away, not sure if he was trying to fuck with her or was just being literal. He tilted his head and scooted across the couch to her. She stiffened at his proximity, something she completely failed to hide. She tensed her shoulders and stared hard into her hands. She could feel his gaze on her and winced from behind her hair. He paused a moment, before reaching out and taking her hand. She almost flailed away on reflex, but managed to suppress it.

He held her arm with both hands and examined the injury he'd inflicted earlier. Her wrist was swollen and red. She was right when she'd said it had already started bruising. As he examined it, he could tell just how tender it was and wondered if perhaps he'd fractured it. He ran a thumb over it, healing it. He then set her hand back on her lap, though he didn't let it go.

"I apologize for hurting you." He said. Sarah wanted to whip her head up and tell him to go fuck himself, but remained still. Why was he apologizing? After he was so adamant in explaining proper punishment and discipline?

While Sarah had spent the past hours sitting uncomfortably, Jareth had been thinking. He was sure it was Liana's influence that set her off, which meant it wasn't really her fault that she lashed out at him. He'd just finished giving her such a strict run down of what he expected from her, saying that should she willingly and knowingly defy him she would be reprimanded. It wasn't her direct will that drove her, so in a way she wasn't responsible for her actions -in part. That meant that him hurting her was out of line. She didn't know any of this, but he did, and in knowing this felt a little resentment towards his actions after all. He wasn't one who usually apologized for his actions, but in doing so he hoped to gain some small favor. He'd let it go -this one time.

Sarah's eyes were glued to Jareth's hand holding her own. The pain in her wrist was gone. She didn't know what to say, thank him for removing the injury that he inflicted in the first place? At least he was apologizing...

"I didn't mean to lash out like that...I just...I don't know." She tried pulling her hand away, but he kept it in place.

"I know." He said. If only she knew just how much he knew. He shifted again, and pulled her up into his arms. She didn't fight him, knowing she very well couldn't. She was just glad he wasn't trying to assault her in other ways. He held her for a moment, staring out at the fire. He then peered down and brushed a lock of hair concealing her face and pretended he didn't see her flinch at his touch. "You have no idea..." He started. "No idea how grand this life could be, all the things I could give you, how happy you could be, if you would only give it a chance." Sarah stared blankly into the couch. He was right, but she would never give him that chance. If he wanted her to be happy with him, he shouldn't have kidnapped her. Plain and simple.

"It's been three days Jareth. It'll be a very long time before I give you that chance -if ever." She said. Jareth frowned. He'd forgotten it had been such a short period of time. At the rate she was wearing him down, it felt like months had passed. He hoped things wouldn't stay like this for long.

"I have all of eternity. One day you'll realize how pointless it is to fight me, and how worth while it is to give in, to swallow your pride and let me give you the world."

"And what is it you want in return?" She asked, unwilling to believe Jareth actually had any intention of giving her the world. There was a pause before he responded.

"You." He said, cryptically it seemed. Sarah furrowed her brow for a moment. _He wants you Sarah, use it to your advantage... _

"You can't have me."

"I will."

"You won't."

"Is that a challenge?" There was a small spark in his voice.

"No. It's the truth." She answered. Jareth gave a small grin. That was definitely a challenge.

"You can't hate me forever." He said.

"I can, as long as you keep giving me reasons to. And at the rate you're going, I don't see that changing any time soon." Jareth's grin fell. He looked away from the fire and paused, releasing his hold on her. She glanced up, curiously, as he then stood and walked away from her. Her eyes followed him all the way to the door. He stopped after turning the latch and pushing it open to look back over his shoulder, though he didn't look at her.

"You're not the only one who's alone, Sarah." He said, and headed out into the darkness of the hallway.


	8. The Eye Of The Storm

Chapter 8, The Eye Of The Storm

* * *

The hall was dark, engulfed in total blackness, and echoed the slow pace of Jareth's footsteps. He thought nothing of it. He'd walked through this hall enough times to navigate it blindly. He stared absently downwards, lost in the hallow. The deeper he ventured down the hall, the lower his shoulders sagged. He felt so tired -all the time it seemed. Well, more so recently. Sarah was proving to be more difficult in ways he hadn't anticipated, and in truth, it had him rethinking his once decided course of action. Perhaps he was too rash in acquiring her... Maybe he should have thought it through more. He was so excited, perhaps even with all his planning he failed to approach every angle of the situation. He knew she was strong willed, and knew she was unstable from the amount of energy she was draining from the Labyrinth, but that in itself posed more than enough issues to keep him busy for the next decade or so, and he really didn't want to dedicate that amount of time into acquiring something that was rightfully his. He'd waited long enough as it was. And then there were more -foreign- issues, like her tempered _feelings_ and estranged sense of morality. He'd never thought to accommodate her perceptions...he'd just assumed she would understand the way he understood, or he would make her understand. Perhaps he was too confident right out of the gate. Maybe...maybe more time is what he needed; instead of trying to force and cram everything into her as soon as possible, perhaps he should draw it out...help her feel -_accommodated._ His brow slowly drew as he pondered this thought. He'd been so set on the declaration that he would bend for no one, that she would bend until she broke because he was the King and she was not. But, with the way things were going, after realizing the way she was affecting him, maybe it would be best to bend, if only a little. Give a little, take a lot. He knew she was starting to level out in her transition, whether it be from her magical acclimation or not, it was happening. He could either wait, stand idly along with his pride until her fire snuffed out on its own, or he could bite his own tongue and snuff it out himself and skip an eternity of headache.

He sighed as he approached the door leading to his chambers. There was so much planning and thinking, and then plotting and rethinking. The nagging thought forever jabbing at his brain reminding him that there was an easy way out of all of this grew louder and louder. The strain of pushing it away was proving to be quite cumbersome, especially at times when he felt like this. He shook his head to clear the temptation. He would never take the easy way out. He couldn't bare it, even with all his greed, he knew he wouldn't be able to go on if he gave in. He would fight for the power that was rightfully his AND he would fight for Sarah. He would have them both. There was no easy way around it. Not if he wanted them both, that is. His sigh came out a growl. When did things get so complicated?

The latch clicked and the door eased open, but it was a sound he didn't hear. He was so drifted in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the bleak darkness filling his room. He walked passed the fire pit, unaware that it didn't light as it usually did. He paused once making his way half way through the room however, finally sensing something amiss. There was a force waiting for him, thick and tangible and he'd walked right into it. His stance grew firm then, sensing a presence that radiated a foul intent. His hands fisted at his sides as he looked around the room, just now realizing how eerily dark it was. The fire was out, and there was no moon filling the night sky. He narrowed his eyes on the dark spot where he knew the hearth was, urging it to ignite, but with no response.

He moved quickly then, taking a step towards the hearth when a raging burst of fire suddenly combust from within it, illuminating the entire room and heating the air to an almost uncomfortable level. He stopped and drew a hand up to protect his face from the blaze, but then snarled and pressed on.

With firm determination, Jareth stalked towards the raging fire, which grew and grew with each step. He stopped dead about five feet away from the flames, the heat was too intense to approach any further. The twinge of the fire reflected in his eyes as anger spurred his own rage.

"What do you want!" He roared at the fire, barring fang and claw. He did his best to hold back the searing heat with his own magic, but it was practically useless against it.

The fire rolled into a sphere then, seemingly outraged by Jareth's demand. It churned and burgeoned, until it exploded into an array of violent rays and heat that scorched everything within the immediate vicinity. The air seemed to quiver and shake around him, but Jareth held his ground, trying to create some kind of defense against the insane heat now bubbling through the room. Within the next second, the flame started to refine itself. Wisps of light curled and rounded into the familiar shape of giant wings, flapping boiling air into the room and directly at him. Jareth watched the spectacle for no more than a moment before lashing out once again.

"What do you want! Enough of this. As your King, I order you to show yourself!" He roared again and winced as the light became too bright for him to handle. In the next moment, the light was gone, dwindling into no more than a soft hum. He opened his eyes and lowered his hand, the outrage in his gaze had never been so intense. "How dare you strike against me!" He screamed, thrashing his arm out to the side.

Liana stood tall both against and one with the fire. Her chest heaved as if she were fighting back the very forces of nature from lashing out at him.

"How dare I? How dare you!" She called out. The intensity in her gaze rivaled that of Jareth's. She lowered her head to glare at him.

"What grounds do you have to attack me? Any action against me is explicitly forbidden. Have you forgotten who I am?" Jareth continued. All the muscles in Liana's face visibly tensed. She was nothing more than raw energy at the moment.

"Explicitly forbidden? And what are you going to do to punish me exactly? I think it is you who have forgotten who I am, _My Liege_." She said, annunciating his title with mock-distaste. There was a heady silence then as Jareth forced himself to rein in his temper. His gaze narrowed, drawing all his rage into the dead of his eyes.

"We have an arrangement." He said, his voice as sharp as a sickle.

"And I think it is time I reaffirm the parameters of what exactly our arrangement is." Liana replied, and took a step towards him. The heat in her step seared scorch marks into the wooden floor boards. "You do not command me, Jareth. I am not your subject. You do not have any hold or power over me. I work in alliance with you _only_ for the sake of the land. My tie, my bond, and my loyalty is to my master -Sarah. And it will be regardless if she remains unaware of her power or not." She spoke harsh and clipped. Her voice was deeper than usual, and echoed into the air around them. She was reverting, loosing control of her _Fae_ form. Jareth drew into himself in an effort to hold himself back from her. He did not need to deal with this right now.

"What are you doing here, Liana." He said, like a stone. He stood as rigid as a statue, but the tension in his hands gave tell as to just how much fury he was holding in.

"What have you done to Sarah." She demanded. Jareth took in a shallow breath.

"You're going to have to be more specific." He said. Liana would have openly gritted her teeth if she didn't think sparks would ignite from the friction.

"You hurt her, badly. I could sense her pain, her fear, her panic, and most directly, her sorrow. What have you done to her." She snapped. Jareth watched the light start to pour from subtle cracks spidering all over her body. Whatever had set her off, he needed to resolve -fast. He'd never seen her this outraged, only at enemies or attackers on the Labyrinth. Screaming back at her wasn't going to work. He needed her to reclaim her rational.

"I merely informed her on the guidelines in which she is to behave." He said.

"What did you to do her." She spoke slower this time. The tips of her hair were starting to twirl upwards as they caught fire.

"She behaved poorly, and so she was disciplined. I then informed her on how to avoid such an outcome in the future. It is over and we have moved on." He explained. He really didn't understand what Liana was so angry about. She knew the way of the world. What was more so, was that she herself accepted, agreed, and practiced it to its fullest extent.

"I may not be able to stop you from touching her, but I assure you, I will not allow her to come to harm, from any hand." She declared. Jareth rose an eyebrow at her.

"And how is that exactly? Her hold is with me, you can't touch her, we've discussed this. And you can not stop me, for more reasons than one." Liana bit her tongue, holding something back. It was then that Jareth chose to break their stand off. Without taking his eyes off of hers, he slowly roamed away from the fire. "You're here because of the pain I inflicted on Sarah? You're angry with me, when it was by your hand that this even transpired." He snapped, accusingly. Liana's brow twitched.

"I know you're setting me up for an elaboration. So, go on, elaborate." She said. Jareth stopped and glared at her hard, with the same kind of anger she was giving to him. She was unaware, but he blamed her for what happened between him and Sarah.

"You did something to her." He snapped. Liana froze. "You did something, something to change her. You spoke of energy and acclimation. You're pushing your force into her through these encounters. Why?" He demanded, effectively changing the subject. Liana recomposed herself within a split second, causing her fire to lose some of its intensity -something Jareth did not fail to notice.

"I told you, the closer she is to me, the stronger she will grow." Jareth shook his head.

"No. I will not accept that as an answer. You're working her specifically, pushing your influence on her purposefully. Why? What is it you're planning exactly?" He said, and started pacing the room. Liana stiffened further, if it were at all possible. "You did this on purpose. You knew what would happen. Sarah's pain is your fault. Why?" He was actually pointing his finger at her, he was so outraged. With all her talk of protecting Sarah, it was her that drove her to come to harm. He didn't understand. He'd thought of this before, of the fact that the Labyrinth was on its own team. If that was truly the case, keeper of its power or not, Sarah was no more than a pawn. They were both using Sarah, which meant he needed to know what other agendas she served before he could proceed with his own. He wasn't lying when he'd told Sarah he would protect her from all others. And if she ever did come to harm, it would undoubtedly be from him. It would be his burden to bear.

There was a pause before Liana spoke.

"She was upset." She answered, causing Jareth to pause in both his step and conspiring. "The way she felt, it wasn't sadness, it wasn't anything. She was completely empty, exhausted of everything. Another result of her encounters with you. I merely wanted to cheer her up. Give her a boost so she might feel better and have enough will power to face you again." She explained, only some of the anger leaving her voice. Meanwhile, Jareth continued to glare. He didn't believe her answer for a second. The Labyrinth would never be that daft. She was playing up her_ Fae_ form a little too well. Jareth could see right through it.

"Your_ boost_ caused her to lash out at me, in numerous ways -completely neurotic. Her behavior was unacceptable. She was frantic, enraged and unstable. If your intention was to bring her some kind of peace or solace I do believe you failed." He snapped, condescendingly. Liana bit the inside of her cheek. She hadn't thought Sarah would react to her influence so radically. She knew Jareth's manner for discipline, and understood it as a norm of the Underground. She knew what she was sending Sarah into. She should have been more careful. She wanted Sarah strong; she wanted Sarah to fight. Perhaps she forced too much too soon. Perhaps this _was_ her fault.

"I may have been the cause, but it was by your decision and hand that harm came to her. I may have set her up but it was you that struck her down." There was a pause then. Her eyes flickered over the small sag that appeared in Jareth's shoulders just then.

"Do you honestly think I enjoyed it? It was not my desire to hurt her, to see her that way. But she must learn and she must learn now. I could have done far worse." He muttered. It actually struck Liana at how drained he sounded just then. He sounded...regretful. "You do realize what is going on, don't you? You understand the position Sarah is about to ascend? This is not merely between us three. She will not be confined to the castle walls forever. She must learn the way of this world now before she is exposed to its extremes. You say you won't allow her harm from any hand, well I say that as well. If she doesn't learn how to behave she will be targeted by the realm. Individuals that you and I both know can hold a great influence over her fate should they feel the desire to victimize her. I do not wish that manner of attention and persecution on her. Demonize me all you want, but you know how merciful I have been to her. You know how lenient I have been."

He paused to take a breath, and narrowed his eyes a bit.

"And you, a being with no capacity for true human emotion of any kind, no love or compassion, loyalty or even hatred for that matter; your level of devotion and caring is only as strong as the person who holds you. Be it by order, you would slaughter a band of children without a moment's hesitation. You, someone so evolved beyond the constraint of humanity or its other like-forms. You do not _feel_. You do not comprehend. Your sense of emotion is merely mimicked observation. You say you care so much, but you don't. You simply can not. Do you take me for a fool? And here you are baring arms in a declaration to protect Sarah from my frigid claws. Who are you to judge my actions? Believe it or not I _am_ trying to help her." What ever sense of reservation Jareth had been clinging to up until that point had been blown away by the sheer disbelief he held towards Liana. She wasn't human, she wasn't even Fae. She wasn't a physical being of any sorts. She had no soul, no conscience. For her to dare condescend him on matters of compassion and emotion when it was physically impossible for her to feel anything at all was simply...unbelievable. The emotion she felt was a facade, a show. She didn't really feel compassion towards Sarah, she was merely reflecting the nature of Sarah's personality, of Sarah's soul. Maybe that's what this was all about then. Maybe Liana's rage was merely a reflection of Sarah.

Liana stood like a plank. Never, ever, in all her centuries of working alongside Jareth had she heard him shout and spew so much, with such -fervor. He was truly outraged, disgusted it seemed. Her eyes scanned him intently. He was speaking as if she were the threat, not him. While it was true she had no capacity for emotion, she was no threat to Sarah, she could never be. However, the Goblin King was smart and conniving. It wouldn't be long before he figured out just what it was she was really up to. As for Jareth, Liana already knew his true intentions -which fit right into hers. There were sure to be many bumps in the road, but as long as the end resulted the way she planned, she was willing to take some of the heat along the way.

Her eyes remained glued to Jareth as he began taking a step towards her. Apparently, he wasn't finished yet.

"This -worry- you feel? It only exists due to the chain Sarah holds around your neck. Should she let go, you wouldn't care for her wellbeing in the slightest."

"Your point?" Liana interjected, feeling bombarded with the ferocity of Jareth's speech.

"My point -Liana- is that _that_ is the difference between you and me. While you and Sarah may say otherwise, I do have a soul. I do have compassion and I do have a conscience. While your loyalty resides in whoever happens to hold your leash, I will always care for Sarah. I will always protect her. And that is a vow you could never make." Liana could only stand abashed as Jareth ranted and raved. but the glare in her eyes waned as she took in his words. There was true emotion in Jareth just now, and although he hid it well, she was one who could see through any mask. Jareth didn't wait for her to respond, and instead turned and stalked away from her. "You've never reacted this way to anything. I know you're up to something. And I want to know what." He said as he approached the loft holding his bed. He ascended the couple of steps before turning back and looking her straight in the eye. "I don't want you seeing Sarah, it's hard enough trying to wrangle her in without your helpful influence, but we both know I can not stop you. And I doubt you would reveal your scheme so easily, so I will ask you simply, for the sake of the land, are you with me, or against me?" He asked. Liana stood rather awkwardly for a moment, still trying to wrap her head around the strange stream of emotion she was getting from Jareth and just how in the world he managed to turn this on her. Anger, protection...fear? sadness? ...and something else.

"I want what is best for the kingdom, Jareth. My one true allegiance will always be to the kingdom," She answered. Jareth didn't move, after all, she hadn't answered his question.

"And what exactly is best for the kingdom?" He asked.

"As King, one would hope you would already know the answer to that question." She countered, and turned as if to leave. The site of her retreating back made him irritated.

"What ever it is you're up to, it will not interfere with my plans for Sarah." He called out. Liana paused, and glanced back over her shoulder. "You say I do not command you, that I have no power over you, well that goes both ways. You do not command me and you have no power over me. I will do what I want and how I want where Sarah is concerned. I owe you no explanation for my actions, I am ordered by no one, not even you. So I don't recommend you coming into my chambers and having another outburst like this again. It's enough to deal with her, and she's only a mortal." He said and waited for her response. Liana turned slightly and crinkled her nose.

"She influences me just as I influence her. You said it yourself, my King, my devotion and caring is only as strong as the one who holds me. As you have yet to discover, Sarah has more caring and devotion in her than you could ever hope to imagine. I gain my emotion from her, just as she gains her energy from me. I recommend you keep that in mind for future encounters," She replied, and turned back to continue towards the door. She stopped once reaching the threshold, sensing he was still watching her. "Oh, and one more thing, influence goes a long way. So as long as I can push it, I will have no reason to interfere. And, on a more basic note, if all you're planning is to marry her, why would I have reason to interfere at all? Best keep your cards close at hand, Goblin King, or I just might see what it is _you're_ really up to." She said, in warning, and then she was gone.

* * *

Sarah sighed into her pillow, slowly waking from the feel of the morning sun warming her cheeks. She smiled and rolled onto her back. She opened her eyes slowly, savoring the inky blackness behind her lids, blackness that she had enjoyed thoroughly throughout the entire night. Her unconscious smile grew as her lashes fluttered open. Ah, a dreamless sleep. Finally, a night without Jareth, a night without anything. No midnight invasions of her psyche, no nothing. As she stared up at the ceiling, she couldn't believe a night of emptiness could have ever made her feel as rejuvenated as she felt this morning.

Yesterday had been so...weird. She had felt so off, wired and then exhausted, confused and rattled. She shook her head and looked to the side, just now realizing she was absent one Goblin King. She looked down the bed, half expecting to see him where he was the previous morning, and blinked at the empty space when she saw nothing. She laid her head back against her pillow almost warily, contemplating the whereabouts of Jareth and her much needed contentment that came with his absence.

She lay there unmoving for a few minutes, just soaking up the sun and almost happy feeling. Where did this come from? Why did she feel so much better this morning? It couldn't simply be because Jareth wasn't harassing her, could it? After another few minutes of thinking, she rolled onto her side and knelt up on her elbow. _Where is Jareth?_ She wondered. He'd been there when she awoke every day since she'd arrived, and wondered if maybe something was wrong.

Pulling back the sheets, she swung her legs free and pressed the pads of her toes to the floor. It was quiet, wonderfully so. She left the bed and made her way over towards the window. The air was warmer there. She rested her hands against the sill, and marveled at how warm the stone was against her skin. She leaned out a little, taking in the landscape. The view was always so beautiful, even though she knew the manner of decay the kingdom was in close up, all the colors and textures just seemed to flow like a painting from so high up. Her eyes scanned as far as they could until the land met the horizon. She wondered just how vast the Goblin Kingdom was, and what lay beyond its borders. What and where the other 7 kingdoms were, and what -if anything- lay beyond those as well. _ I wonder where Erastor is..._

She heard something as she pondered that thought, effectively distracting her. She scanned over the contours of the Labyrinth more intently, searching for the source of the sound. It sounded like...crashing...yelling...craziness in general. That's when her eyes caught on the smoke. Smoke? No, not smoke -dust. Huge clouds of dust were coming from somewhere in the Labyrinth. She focused her eyes harder, but she was too far up to make out anything specific, only that it was close to the city wall. Scratching her head, she gave a mental shrug and moved away from the window. She stretched her arms high above her head, savoring the warm pop that drizzled down her spine as they cracked. She'd been so tense since coming here -but that was self-explanatory.

After a moment, Sarah found herself standing rather awkwardly -alone- in her room, not quite knowing what to do with herself. Jareth had always given her a strict outline for the day. What was she supposed to do? Could she just leave her room and do whatever she wanted? Where was Jareth? If she did stay in her room, how would she eat?

After a moment, she hesitantly decided it would be best to seek him out -in case something was wrong. She made her way over towards her set of dressers and began rummaging through, and found herself frowning at the fact that there were now more pants outfits than dresses. She tried to think nothing of it, mindlessly gathering her things and making her way towards the bathroom.

She took her time in the bath, savoring the process of becoming clean. She'd always felt too pressured by Jareth's presence to actually enjoy taking a bath. But now, soaking in the huge in lain tub, it felt so relaxing. She also took the time to scan around the environment more thoroughly than she had previous times. There was soap, shampoo and towels, but what she also discovered, and wasn't sure if she was excited or creeped out about, were the razors and other Aboveground girly technology located throughout the room. _ Where did these even come from? Did Jareth get these for me? That's...kind of weird to think about...I wonder if he'll fetch me tampons when I get my period._ She joked to herself. It wasn't very long before her intended joke actually sunk in.

_Wait...period. Shit. _Thoughts of her impending cycle brought thoughts of not having her impending cycle as well as a very small flare of panic. _Fuck. Marriage means kids. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I have to have his kids? Of course I have to have his kids! He expects me to spurn the fruit of his God forsaken loins? Inevitable sex I can cope with, but bearing demented Fae offspring? That is the last thing I want. What if I'm not ready? Will he understand? Will he let me wait? Dear lord, I'm only 18! What if he expects me to get pregnant and I don't? What then? I've seen medieval set movies. I know what happens when the wife proves infertile. I can not have his kids...Do I get any say in raising them? Or do I have to watch them turn into monsters like their father? I can't do this. Urgg, God damn it. What am I going to do... _

She braced the sides of her head to quell her impending headache. They weren't even married yet and she was already freaking out about children. This was all happening so fast, and yet she didn't even know the date for their wedding. She covered her face with splayed hands and groaned. _No. No. No. Stop Sarah. Just shut it out. Lock it away and deal with it later. _ She told herself. She would not let her good mood be spoiled by Jareth and his hypothetical non-existent children (children that would also be hers), especially when he wasn't even there. Instead, she took a deep breath and reached for her razor. She couldn't wait to have smooth legs again. _Ok, just keep distracted by acts of mindless physical labor... Gahh puns. _

When she finished bathing and had successfully calmed herself down, Sarah found herself standing in front of one of the vanities, tapping a finger against her lip as she scanned over the assortment of brushes, perfumes and make-up. _ I wonder if Jareth got all of this as well...Hmmm... _ In the end, she decided to pick up nothing but a hairbrush and made her way back into the main room. She was not taking the chance of Jareth confusing her prettying herself up as being a gesture for him.

Speaking of Jareth, she almost expected him to be waiting for her once she exited the washroom, and a small part of her knew that was why she was taking so much time to get ready, and was surprisingly, deniably, disappointed to find the room still completely empty. She walked over towards her vanity, and ran a finger down the picture of her family. Now, after everything had settled down, she found herself wanting to thank Jareth for fixing it for her. But at the same time, the memory of what had happened the previous day made her recoil away from it. Her eyes moved from the picture to the small box containing Hoggle's flowers. She opened it to find them still there, healthy and intact. She wondered where they grew...if she would ever get the chance to visit that place and pick one for herself... She then wondered if Jareth had spotted those as well, and what he thought of them being there. She wanted to keep her friends safe, which meant keeping them out of this and away from Jareth, which also meant not calling Jareth's attention to them any time soon. She found herself frowning as she brushed her fingers over the silky petals. She missed her friends. Lastly, her eyes landed on the coiled heap of her mother's necklace. She'd forgotten she'd worn it here, and reached out as if to put it on, but paused. Seeing her necklace, it made her think of home and for that reason she wanted to keep it close. But, seeing it also made her think of her mother, and how during her entire stay, she'd been solely upset with missing Toby, her father and Karen. Her mother hadn't even made an appearance. Of course, that was due to their estranged relationship, but the fact that one of the only physical mementos keeping her connected to her life Aboveground was from a woman who didn't give two shits about her, made her feel sad and angry. She frowned and looked away. Again, she was not ready to give up her mysterious good mood.

Needing a distraction, she decided to finally embark on her search for Jareth, already contemplating the haughty victory speech he would give her for her being the one to seek him out. She entered the hall and shut the door behind her, ignoring the looming presence of the mysterious second door, the destination of which she still had yet to discover, and began her sauntering journey down the hall.

Her first instinct was to head to the throne room. She still couldn't get over how she managed to know exactly where she was going when she'd only been through these halls once, reaffirming her earlier idea that it had something to do with magic and the castle itself.

As she ventured down the hall, she couldn't help but notice that things seemed...out of place. The hall was a mess. Well, more of a mess than usual. And there were Goblins, lots of them, running up and down the halls. They looked frantic, veering left and right. She found herself jumping on more than one occasion, reflexively shifting out of the path of a Goblin here or there. She also couldn't help but notice that no matter how crazed the Goblins looked, none of them came into contact with her, and would actually throw themselves into the wall rather than risk colliding with her. It was a strange sight, and slightly unnerving. She wanted to ask if they were ok, but they would only scream and run away each time she got close. She tried to stop a few here and there and ask what was going on, why every one was in such a panic, but the ones that didn't scream at her couldn't focus long enough to answer.

On and on this went, and the numbers only grew the closer she neared the throne room. It was then that she started to hear the steady climb of mass chatter emanating from further down the hall. Louder and louder the sound grew, until it was nothing but catatonic yelling and clatter that filled her ears. She rose the few steps leading through the archway into the throne room, and found herself momentarily stunned by the scene that met her.

The throne room was filled with Goblins, literally filled. She'd never seen so many. And all of them were freaking the fuck out. She unwittingly drew a hand up to her lips, now feeling a little intimidated to actually enter the room. They were screaming something, shaking their heads and flailing their arms like they'd just seen Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Jesus, aliens and the Tooth Fairy all at once. When her eyes were able to make it through the jumble of the crowd, she brought them to Jareth's throne and tried to ignore the hint of relief she felt at actually finding him where she thought he might be.

Jareth was sitting in his throne, one hand gripped the arm of his chair, while the other pinched the bridge of his nose. He was scowling, or -snarling. His body was both languid and tensed at the same time. He looked exhausted, and completely on edge, as if he might spontaneously combust and take down everyone and everything in the room with him. Sarah worried her brow and quickly stepped into the room. For some inexplicable reason, she wasn't afraid to approach him today.

"Jareth?" Sarah asked, once standing directly beside him. She was a little wary, he hadn't given any indication as to acknowledging her presence. It was...strange. She stepped a little closer when a nearby Goblin suddenly bounded passed. "Jareth? What's going on?" She asked again, growing more and more concerned by the second. Jareth growled and straightened in his seat.

"Nothing I can't handle." He snarled, glaring out at the crowd. Sarah drew her brow tighter.

"Did something happen? Why are they all freaking out like this?" She asked. Jareth sighed hard, more than irritated, but she sensed it wasn't because of her.

"There was an incident in the Labyrinth last night." He said. Sarah frowned. She was staring down at him, but his eyes were fixated on the crowd, it was as if he was purposefully keeping from looking at her. She narrowed her eyes, wondering why _he_ would be irritated with _her_.

"What happened?" Jareth sighed and rolled his head. The small movement allowed her to see some of his expression. He looked...royally pissed off. Shit. She took a reflexive step back.

"Some of the walls bordering the city crumbled during the night, damaging property and sending the masses into a panic." He said in one hot breath. Sarah turned her attention out to the crowd.

"Is everything ok? Did anyone get hurt?" She asked, now even more concerned. Jareth issues aside, she cared deeply for his people. Her eyes darted when she caught sight of Jareth shaking his head from side to side. He had a wry smile on his face.

"The issue has already been resolved." He said. Sarah scowled.

"Then why are they still here, freaking out?" She asked. Jareth rolled his head back against the back of the throne, locking his eyes with Sarah. She had a bit of deer-caught-in-the-headlights moment in the lag before he responded. They looked glazed, like he was running on nothing but fumes. Maybe that was it then...maybe it was his lack of defense, and therefore offense that made her feel unafraid? Perhaps it was because they were in a relatively public setting, allowing her to feel unintimidated by his lone focus, attention and aggravation? Or maybe it was the strange note he chose to leave on last night...Hmm... Either way, she wasn't afraid, and felt rather complacent, so she thought it best not to question and just enjoy.

"Because they're idiots. And because they're Goblins." He said, exasperated.

"How long have you been here? Dealing with them?" She asked. Jareth rolled his eyes.

"Long enough."

"And they won't listen to you?" She asked. There was a flash of a smirk on Jareth's face in response to her question.

"It would seem not." He answered, clipped and irritated. Sarah scowled again, not understanding why they wouldn't listen to their king. Aside from a select few, the Goblins had always been rather obedient of Jareth, and Liana said he was a good King...so why wouldn't they listen in a time of crisis? Jareth seemed to hear Sarah's thoughts, and answered in kind. "It's nearly impossible to break through to them when they're in a state like this, especially when they are in large numbers. Their panic feeds off one another. Each time I try to wrangle them in line, they only panic further." He explained.

"So...what are you going to do then?" Sarah asked. Jareth rose an eyebrow and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Wait for them to calm down. That's all I can really do at the moment." Sarah stood and thought with hand on hip as she scanned over the crowd.

"Let me ask you this, when you say 'wrangle them in line' do you mean yell and kick and threaten to bog?" She asked. She was dead serious, but Jareth seemed to take her question as mockery.

"It's under control, Sarah. You should be off and enjoy a day where you don't have to deal with me." He said, distastefully. Sarah frowned, he sounded...offended? Hurt? What?

"How did the walls of the Labyrinth crumble anyway?" She asked, momentarily distracted by the thought. This time, she thought she could feel the agitation radiating from Jareth. But she didn't feel any trepidation, probably because it wasn't directed at her.

"Apparently, someone was angry." He muttered.

He didn't know then, but Liana's little outburst the previous night had caused unfortunate mishaps within the Labyrinth. Of course, she had fixed it all afterwards -it was her duty-, but the Goblins didn't know that. They didn't know that because they wouldn't listen. So, upon dealing with his subjects, Jareth also had to balance the knowledge that when Liana was unstable, the Labyrinth itself was unstable. And, if Liana was starting to become more like Sarah and vice versa...there were sure to be many more incidents like this in the near future. And that was not good for anyone.

Sarah blinked at him a couple of times, confused by his statement.

"Uhhmmm...ok. Can I try something?" She asked. Jareth's brow twitched, and he glanced up at her from his hunched and brooding position. She took his gesture as a green light.

Taking a step away from Jareth, Sarah hunkered down to kneel beside a small band of Goblins. She didn't notice Jareth's attentions burning into her. She reached out and clasped one of the Goblins by the shoulder, jerking it to attention.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked. The Goblin's face turned to focus on hers, its eyes growing wide.

"Rocks fall! Smash! Smash!" It shouted. Jareth started shaking his head over her shoulder.

Sarah tilted her head and smiled.

"Did it break your house?" She asked. The creature settled down a little and nodded.

"Rocks fall from sky. Scare us." It added.

"I see, well, the rock storm is over." She said. The Goblin perked up a bit.

"It is?" It asked. Sarah nodded

"Mhmm, and I guess that means we can go fix your house now, too." Jareth sat up a little in his seat, curious as to what Sarah was getting at.

"Fix?" The Goblin asked. Sarah nodded.

"Yupp. I'm gonna go fix all your houses, but I need help. You should tell everyone and we'll all go back together." She said. The Goblin's face lit up and a huge smile beamed across its face. Suddenly, it was gone, dashing through the crowd as it told the masses to go back out into the city.

Sarah stayed kneeling as she watched the mass of Goblins slowly settle and quiet down. And she smiled to herself when they then started to vacate the throne room. She smacked her hands as if wiping them of dirt and rose to her feet, glancing back at Jareth with a victory smile. A victory smile which soon faded however once she was met with the hard and suspicious expression of the Goblin King.

"What?" Sarah asked. Jareth glared harder.

"What are you doing?" He asked. Sarah's eyes darted around a bit.

"Uhh...I believe I just ridded you of your frantic Goblin problem?" She responded, just a little offensively. _Geez, one would think he'd be grateful... _He cocked his head to one side as he regarded her.

"You're going to fix all their houses, Sarah?" He asked. She couldn't tell if he was mocking her or not.

"No. You said it's already been taken care of. They'll go back to their homes and see everything has been put to right. Didn't you ever try just talking to them? Instead of yelling and threats?" She asked, and for a split second, it seemed like she was talking about something else entirely. Jareth shifted in his seat.

"They usually respond well to my threats." He said. Sarah's brow rose.

"Not from what I just saw." She said and laughed. "You can't bully your way through everything, Jareth. A little compassion and respect can go along way. They may be simple minded creatures, but they're not stupid." She'd turned to face him at the tale end of her sentence, and her smile fell abruptly when she caught sight of his new expression. He'd leaned forward, resting his jaw in his hand, tapping his index finger against his lips as he smiled connivingly up at her. She took half a step back. "What?" She asked, hesitantly.

"Nothing." He said. Sarah felt herself start to wince uncomfortably. _Why does he always stare at me like that? Geez_.

"Ok, then why are you staring at me like that?" She asked. Jareth narrowed his eyes a bit, and a small smirk curled behind his tapping finger.

"No reason, you're just proving my point." He answered, rather ominously. Sarah scrunched her brow and darted her eyes away.

"I'm just reeducating you on how to handle your subjects." She answered, snarkily, and tried not to watch his smile grow out of the corner of her eye.

"Such graciousness will not go un-noted." He said. Sarah scoffed and rolled her eyes, a little irritated with the way he brushed off her insult. It was then that she realized she was _trying_ to rile him. There had to be something wrong with her, to make her try to consciously engage in meaningless confrontation with a man who could snap her in two if he so desired. She shook her head slightly, smirking incredulously to herself. "I do say, you seem to be in a rather fine mood this morning." He added, a little awed and totally sincere. After last night's events, he wasn't sure how he would find Sarah this morning. Of all the scenarios he'd come up with, none were this promising.

Sarah rose an eyebrow and shrugged.

"What can I say? I had a good night's sleep." She replied, putting more than enough emphasis on her words to make sure her meaning truly sunk in.

"Hmm.." He murmured. It fell quiet between them for a moment. Sarah kept her gaze fixated on the diminishing crowd, though she could feel the intensity of his gaze on her. "You're very beautiful when you smile. I much prefer it over your scowling." He then said. A small jolt shot up Sarah's spine, causing her shoulders to tense and her senses to stand to full attention. _WTF? Did he really just say that?_ She was a little shocked, for numerous reasons, a little miffed, and a little embarrassed. She didn't turn back to face him, deciding it was best to just ignore his comment instead. She began growing anxious then. He didn't say anything more, but she could sense the dastardly grin crawling across his face. Thankfully, before the moment could grow any more awkward, the Goblin Sarah had chatted up came prancing back.

"Uhh, lady? You come fix house now?" It asked. Sarah blinked herself away from thoughts of Jareth's mischievous looking face to find the throne room almost completely devoid of Goblins.

"Uhhmmm." She started, and turned back to look at Jareth, unsure of what to say. Could she just go? Leave the castle like that? Would Jareth let her? Jareth's expression remained immobile as he contemplated both Sarah and the Goblins request. After a moment, his finger ceased its tapping.

"Yes." He said, without nearly enough of a pause to have actually thought about it. Sarah's mouth gaped a bit, caught off guard by his response.

"What?" She asked, baffled that he was fine with her leaving the castle without him. Jareth smirked, and sat upright in his throne.

"You made a vow to your subject, Sarah, as future Queen you must see it through." He said. Sarah drew a puzzled brow.

"You're ok with me leaving? Just like that?" She asked.

"As a Queen, you will be expected to interact with our subjects on a much more frequent basis than I. It is obvious you connect with them -one of the reasons I chose your hand in fact. Besides, I have a lot of work to catch up on, so I would be grateful if you handled this situation for me." He paused to lock eyes with her then. "Don't worry, I trust you...just remember what I told you about knowing your exits." He said and with it came a deathly and dangerous undertone, but of what Sarah didn't know. She did however get a quick flashback to their tour the other day - _"You're showing me where the door is? Aren't you worried I'll try to escape?" __"The key word in your question, Sarah, is try. Try all you may, but you will never escape me. No matter where you go, I will always be able to find you. So, no. I'm not worried." Hmm, _she shuddered the thought away.

"Uhhmm...alright then." She said, not about to refuse an offer to get far far away from Jareth for the day, and turned swiftly towards the Goblin. "Ok, let's go."

"And Sarah," Jareth called out, just as she was about to step away. She glanced back at him, expectantly. "I advise you to stay away from the Labyrinth...it isn't safe at the moment." He said. Sarah nodded in understanding, but found it hard to take her eyes away from his. There was something...lurking, something more. It felt..ominous and -dangerous.

"Ok." She said, uncertainly, scrunching her brow just slightly before turning away.

* * *

Sarah had almost forgotten what the Goblin City looked like, but as she and a small horde of Goblins trekked down the long staircase leading away from the castle, every detail came flooding back.

She stood, staring out at the picturesque view of the Goblin City. So many memories... Naturally, she thought back to her epic storming of the castle, remarking on how chaotic it became once Ludo's rocks started bounding about, wreaking havoc. Jareth was right, once the Goblins were spooked it was like an avalanche of panic and fear. She suddenly found herself sympathizing with Jareth, or his position as King anyway. He had to deal with the limited mental capacities of an entire kingdom's worth of Goblins on a day to day basis. She tried putting herself in his shoes, since she would soon be prancing around in an almost equally identical pair. Just imaging it was exhausting._ And now It will be my job to bear that burden as well..._ She thought. _ It is obvious you connect with them -one of the reasons I chose your hand in fact... _She played over Jareth's words in her head, along with the entire encounter that had just taken place in the throne room. If she and Jareth could agree on one thing, it would be that Sarah could manage his subjects in a way that he could not. The thought made her want to frown. She'd found connecting with the Goblins to be so natural, it was then that she realized she hadn't fully understood what Jareth had meant up until now.

For as long as Jareth had been King -how long was that exactly?- he hadn't been able to capture the hearts of his subjects, or that was how it was appearing to her. Maybe that was why they turned against him so easily? Sure, he could be a good King. He could manage the wealth and wellbeing of the land without fault, but it was obvious there was a wall placed between him and the Goblins that simply didn't exist between them and Sarah. She was finally understanding what he meant by saying she would make a good Queen. In her anger, she'd taken his words for granted. But now she knew. It would be her job to close the gap between the Goblins and their King, to turn Jareth's position from fear-inspiring _Gang Leader_ to beloved Sovereign. Ha! As if that could ever really happen.

She rose her chin high as she took in a deep breath, savoring the smell of crisp fresh air. She'd been cooped up within the castle walls for days now. Standing on her own in the great vastness of the Underground seemed to breathe new life into her lungs. A smile spread across her face as a very small wave of what she thought might be happiness fell over her. She was outside, away from Jareth and his devious claws, free from the stone walls that constricted her with the weight of her own thoughts and depression. She felt so settled now, being around the Goblins, helping them, being on her own with no ties -not even a curfew. She didn't know the castle, it was a strange and unfamiliar place; but out in the Labyrinth, even out in the Goblin City, it was like she was a little bit closer to being back in her element again. Ah, yes, she needed this.

She exhaled slowly, and lowered her head to watch as her band of Goblins continued scurrying down the flight of steps and her smile broadened from ear to ear, making a new realization. If she was going to live here, if she was going to survive, maybe even thrive one day, she needed to be happy. If she was going to remain sane she was going to need something other than Jareth in her life. And this was it, the kingdom, _her_ subjects. She'd been so apprehensive whenever contemplating just exactly what it meant to be Goblin Queen and what that role entailed -only ever bringing inevitable catastrophes involving Jareth to mind. But standing here now, amidst the heart of _her_ people, of her friends, she thought, in that small moment, that she was finally starting to understand. That was the difference between being Jareth's wife and being Jareth's slave. He expected things from her, expected her to fill the role he deemed her suitable for. It was her job to unite the kingdom, or that was how she understood it anyway, and she would; but not for Jareth, and not because it was expected of her, but because she cared. She cared about the Underground and its inhabitants, and once she had power, she would do all she could to improve their lives in any way she could. There was so much disaster in her life right now, if she was going to stick through it, it had to be worth it in the end. There had to be some kind of good that came from all this. Whether it be from anger or not, she couldn't help but think someone besides Jareth should benefit from all this. If she couldn't be happy, someone should. Someone that wasn't Jareth.

"Come on lady!"

She blinked a couple of times, clearing her head, and found some of the Goblins waiting at the base of the staircase staring up at her. Her waning smile stretched anew as she met the concerned and excited faces of the Goblins. She shrugged away any remaining thoughts of Jareth and/or Queenship and bounded down the stairs.

* * *

"How far is it until we reach your houses?" Sarah asked. They'd been walking for quite some time, with no apparent end in sight. The Goblin City was much larger than she thought, or remembered; and it was busy, full of commerce and determined patrons buzzing about. Aside from its citizens being non-human, it was a city not unlike any other she'd been to in the Aboveground. There were street markets, business and resident blocks. There was even a recreation area where what she assumed were Goblin children were playing. It was an eerie sight. She'd ran through it so fast the first time, she'd never gotten the chance to actually see what the city had to offer. The farther they walked the more Sarah wondered. She thought back to that morning, when she'd spied clouds of dust near the city wall. She assumed that must be the area they were heading to, but she was so high up...she didn't realize how far of a walk it would actually be.

"Almost there." Said a Goblin. Sarah stared hard at its profile, trying desperately to remember its name. _Walla? Wolla? Something... _ During the course of there walk, Sarah had made an effort to learn the names of each member of her caravan. There were about twelve or so, and she was having a hard time discerning one Goblin from the other. As unique as some of the Goblins could be from one another, they could also look eerily identical. She pursed her lips as she tried to give them their proper labels. "Hey, Lady, you didn't bring any tools." Walla/Wolla said. Sarah's brow shot up, surprised and distracted from her thoughts.

"Oh! That's right...I-uhhh...I'm going to use my magic." She answered, off the top of her head. The Goblins seemed to accept this as an answer and didn't press further. She smiled at their smug certainty. They had such light hearts. It was a breath of fresh air after dealing with Jareth's hard...everything. "And by the way, my name is Sarah." She added.

The caravan suddenly stopped dead. She then realized they had created a walking circle around her. She almost tripped into the pair in front of her. She widened her gaze and looked around the bunch.

"What?" She asked. They were all staring at her, wide eyed and...dare she say -afraid?

"You Sarah? Why didn't you say!" Wollu -that was his name- piped. He seemed to be the leader of the group, or at least the most vocal. Sarah stood taken aback a bit, and blinked down at them, not sure as to why that was such a big deal.

"Uhmm..." She started to say, but drowned the noise in her own throat when her circle of Goblins suddenly dropped to their knees and bowed.

Sarah worried her brow, feeling uncomfortable with their manner of action. She started looking around, feeling much too tall for her surroundings. The city Goblins started to stare as they passed, and once they caught sight of the few knelt to the ground, their eyes widened and they immediately dropped to the same position. Sarah gulped, feeling extremely awkward and out of place.

"What are you all doing?" She asked, and brought a hand to her chest as if to catch her breath. Wollu rose his head just enough to meet her in the eye.

"You didn't say you's Sarah. We didn't know. Please forgive. We didn't know you's was the Queen." Wollu said.

Sarah actually flinched backwards, mentally blown back by his terminology. With the tips of her fingers still pressed to her sternum, she brought her gaze away from Wollu to look out over the crowd once more. It was dead quiet. Every Goblin in sight was bowing, unmoving. She frowned. She didn't like it.

"Please, stand. You don't have to bow to me." She said, keeping her voice calm enough as to only reply to Wollu, but still managing to address the crowd. Almost in unison, the Goblins rose, but otherwise remained still. "Ok, this is weird. I'm not Queen yet, so please, please just go back to what you were doing." She called out to the masses. The ones that were close enough for her to see do so blinked absently at her, as if not understanding.

"But you are Queen." Quirked a Goblin to Sarah's left. She turned her head and stared, confused and a little repulsed.

"No, I'm not. Jareth and I aren't married yet. I'm just a normal person, like you." She said. The Goblins started tilting their heads this way and that as they took in her words.

"But...Sarah is the Queen. The heralds told us so." This time, it was a Goblin to Sarah's right that spoke. She turned her head to face that one next. Reekuo? Hmmm...

"The heralds?" Sarah asked.

"Yes! The heralds! They bring us news from the castle! They say there is a new Queen, and her name is Sarah. You are Sarah, so you must be the Queen!"

The frozen crowd around her started to chatter amongst themselves. Louder and louder it grew until the sound was enough to break them free of their imprisoning stances. Suddenly, random Goblins were approaching her left and right, carrying baskets and poultry and god knows what else. She darted her head frantically through the crowd. This was sure to get out of control fast if she didn't do something.

"Queen! Queen! Take this gift!"

"Queen Lady! Present for Queen!"

"Make Queen happy! Give her gifts!"

"Fealty to Queen!"

The excited shouting overlapped one another. Tiny hands darted boxes and trinkets at her, pushing through each other. She shook her head and tried backing away, but they were already surrounding her.

"That's ok. Thank you, but- no, really, you keep it." She tried talking her way out of it, but it was useless, they were too excited. It wasn't until they started bouncing at her that she finally found her brain.

"Enough!" She shouted, with a firm authority in her voice. She stood tall, and put a dark and domineering expression on her face. The Goblins halted immediately, staring wide eyed and expectantly up at their Queen. She held her hands out dramatically and looked out over the crowd, putting to acting skills to use. "Thank you. Now, please be quiet and listen to me." She called out. Now that she had their attention, she could go back to being herself. "I may be your Queen, but you will not treat me as such. I am your friend foremost, not your superior. Do you understand? Do not bow to me. Do not offer to pay me tribute. If you want to give me something, give me the gift of your friendship." She stopped then, and waited. Slowly, and rather reluctantly, the Goblins lowered their arms, darting their eyes away as if embarrassed and took a few steps back. She gave a sigh of relief, welcoming the few feet of space and softened her features into a smile. "But thank you, I appreciate your thought. Now please, go back to your day. Pay me no mind. I don't want to be treated any different than any of you." She was hoping to see smiles on their faces, but their expressions only turned more uncertain. They looked...sad.

"But...but you are Queen. We can not treat you as us. It is law...and...we want to give you presents." That sentence was made up of the proclamations of several different Goblins. Sarah blinked, and frowned, just now realizing that she may have offended them by refusing their offers. She pursed her lips as she thought.

"Well...thank you, all of you. But...I can't accept all of your gifts, I simply can't carry them all." She said with a sympathetic smile. She paused awkwardly. They were all staring at her. "And besides...I'm out here on business...how about this...I'll come back again, when I have free time, and then I'll accept your gifts." She said, in an attempt to compromise. Truth be told, she wasn't sure when the next time she would be able to venture out into the city would be...

The Goblins seemed to accept this, and started to return to their usual cheery selves.

"In the mean time, I would like for all of you to think of me as your friend. Could you give me that? And...call me Sarah, not Queen." She asked. There, that brought smiles to their faces.

"Queen friend?"

"No! Not Queen, Sarah, geez!"

"The Queen wants us to be friends?"

"NO! Sarah!"

"Sarah is our friend!"

"Queen a lot nicer than King."

"Shhhhh!"

"SHE SAID SARAH!"

It wasn't long until the crowd was cheering with righteous merriment. Sarah couldn't help but laugh, they had so much fervor. But, again, she could see this new situation growing out of hand as well and thought it best they move on.

"Alright...alright, alright. Calm down, please. I have to get going now." She said, and tried tip toeing around them as they leaped and zipped by. They seemed to be paying attention to her this time.

"Goodbye Queen Sarah!" They began shouting randomly, waving as Sarah cautiously made her way out of the crowd, her band close behind. She turned back and waved in return before heading down what she thought was probably a main road, leading to the next block and hopefully the city wall.

Sarah found herself looking back over her shoulder as she walked down the stretch of dirt road. Her shoulders were hunched over, and she walked cautiously as if treading a mine field. She felt so...out in the open now. She didn't want that kind of attention. She didn't want to be viewed as their master, someone to may tribute to and cower in fear of punishment should they make the slightest mistake. No, that may be how Jareth preferred to be viewed, but not her. She wanted to be their equal, because there was no reason they couldn't be hers. She was no more than mortal. She had no higher calling, no glittering royal blood or special powers. She wanted friends, not servants.

So, as she walked in the center of her small group of travelers, she couldn't help but notice their change in demeanor. They seemed...more careful now. They were quiet, and more serious, glancing around as if scanning the area for threat. As she looked around the circle, she realized that's exactly what they were doing, they were protecting her. She wanted to groan. They were fine and friendly before they knew who she was. Damn it, they were not her security detail.

"Hey, do you guys know where the Sulu District is?" She asked, just to break the silence. A couple of the Goblins heads popped up.

"Uhh, no, My Lady."

"Nope. Never heard of it." Answered two Goblins. Sarah pursed her lips contemplatively. Hmm...

"Do you know what district we're in?" She asked, tapping her index finger against her lip as she spoke.

"We in the Zarhi District." Said...Nogi..? Sarah nodded and looked further down the road. She could see the next set of houses, and the beige backdrop of what would soon refine into the city wall.

"I see...how many districts are there?" She asked. It was Wollu who answered this time.

"Thirteen." He said.

"Oh. Thirteen? The kingdom must be pretty big then." She rose her brow when all twelve of her party turned to look at her.

"Uhh, thirteen districts in the Goblin City...not the kingdom." Reekuo said. Sarah paused in her step.

"Wait...there's thirteen districts in just the Goblin City? How many cities are there?" She asked, surprised that she hadn't thought of that sooner.

"I dunno." They said simultaneously. "There are lots of cities...and then there are the Barrens, and the Northern Kingdom." They added on. Sarah found herself having to consciously speed up in her step she was so distracted.

"The Barrens?" She asked.

"Yea, the lands between the cities." One Goblin answered.

"You mean like the countryside?" She asked for clarification. Wollu gave her a scrunched brow.

"Countryside?" He asked, confused.

"Plains? Open land? Farming? Rural areas?"

"Uhh...yeah." Sarah pursed her lips again as she thought.

"What's the Northern Kingdom?" She asked.

"The Northern Kingdom." Reekuo answered. Sarah scoffed.

"Ok, what makes it any different from the rest of the kingdom?"

"It really far away. Hard to get to. Lots of mountains and snow." The Goblin Sarah thought was named Nogi said.

"Oh." She twisted her lips and looked all around the scenery once again. They were just approaching the next block. "I guess this place is a lot bigger than I thought..."

"We here!"

Sarah looked up to find them entering a small residential area. It was mostly vacated, probably because most of its residents were standing alongside her. She looked up at the massive wall with impressed awe. It stood about fifty feet high, and didn't have a scratch on it. She wondered how in the world Jareth managed to fix this so fast. Then she remembered he had something humans didn't -magic. Duh. She looked down to find the Goblins in even more awe than she. Their mouths actually hung open a little as they looked over their never-broken houses.

"Wow. Queen Sarah, you works fast." Wollu said, appraisingly. Sarah huffed and gave a soft laugh. The rest of the band began making sounds of ooh and ahh before moving to approach their individual houses.

"Look! It's good as new!"

"You must have some powerful magic Queenie!"

"Yea...everything should be good to go." Sarah said, with firm hand on hip. If only she really did have magic... Her eyes flickered down, sensing the Goblin's eyes on her.

"Thank you, Sarah." They all said. She smiled.

"Don't thank me. It's my duty to look out for you guys. To keep you safe..." Her voice trailed off for some reason. Her eyes traveled off to the side, scanning over the dusty roads and houses, and then caught on something.

As if completely forgetting she was in the middle of a conversation, Sarah began walking away from the Goblins. They looked on after her, confused, as she walked mindlessly down the road.

"Hey! Where you goin'?" Reekuo shouted. The bunch started after her when she didn't answer. They followed close behind, watching warily as she slowly stepped to stand before the city gate.

Sarah stood, a little stunned, her mind drawing a blank. _This is...this is the gate. The way back into the Labyrinth..._she thought. She could have sworn it wasn't there a moment ago, but here she was, standing no more than a foot away from the giant metal Guardian's backside. So many memories came flooding back. She rose a hand and laid it cautiously against the metal door. _ Beyond this door lay the free world. I'm so close...If I just pushed a little..._ She thought, and then soon realized that being out of the city didn't mean she would be free of Jareth. He'd warned her specifically about trying to run... She lowered her head to the ground, and frowned. What was the point? Sure, she could push open the door and bolt into the Labyrinth, but where would she go? What would she do? And besides, Jareth could find her with the snap of his fingers. It would only cause her pointless pain... Her last thoughts were of the warning Jareth had given her, about the Labyrinth being dangerous. Would it be more dangerous to run away than to stay in the castle with Jareth? Apparently the city was safe...

"Sarah?" The Goblins asked in unison. She blinked a couple of times and shook her head clear, pushing away the melancholy with a smile as she looked up to them.

"This...this is the gate...out of the city." She murmured. The Goblins furrowed their brows.

"Yes?" They answered, their eyes trailing Sarah's hand as it fell limp to her side. She took a step away, and tilted her head as she gave them a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry, just knowing my exits." She said, and reluctantly headed back down to the set of houses. The smile didn't last, however, slowly fading into nothing by the time they arrived once more.

She stared out over the land, glancing back towards the gate over her shoulder. This...this is it. This is what she'd planned to do...and it was over. Her day, free of gloomy walls and devious dictators, was coming to an end. What should she do now? Go back to the castle and Jareth? It was barely passed mid-day. She looked down to the ground, zoning out on the dust plastering her boots. She didn't want to go back... By the time she brought her attention back to the Goblins, they were frowning. It was then that she realized it was because she herself was frowning.

"What's wrong?" They asked.

"Nothing, I...this just..didn't take as long as I thought it would..." She murmured, keeping her gaze cast down at the ground. The Goblins tilted their heads, sympathetic and not quite understanding.

"Do you have to go back now?" Nogi asked. Sarah thought on that a moment. Did she have to go back? Who was going to make her if she didn't want to? Jareth wasn't with her after all...when did he expect her to be back? Did she have a curfew? She opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came.

"If Queen wishes, you can stay with us. We make you dinner! Say thank you for fixing our houses!"

"Yea! Yea! Stay Queen!"

"She said to call her Sarah." Wollu interjected, annoyed. Suddenly, the band's faces lit up like the forth of July at the prospect of entertaining the Queen. It made her laugh. She felt like Snow White and her seven (twelve) Dwarves.

"I-" She started, but found herself choking on the puppy dog eyes they were all giving her.

"Oh please!? Please, Queen Sarah? It would be ours honor to have the Queen in our homes." Nogi said. Sarah sighed, defeated.

"Well..when you put it like that, how can I refuse?" She said, and followed the cheering Goblins as they escorted her into their homes, leaving her worries behind.

* * *

The day passed in a blur. The Goblins were so excited to have Sarah as their company, that they made sure to keep her thoroughly entertained throughout every passing second. She found it a little overwhelming, but it was a pleasant change from the other kind of overwhelming behavior she'd been dealing with. She received detailed tours of each household, met the families of each of her new friends. It was quaint, full of warmth and love. They'd come to a consensus on having dinner in Wollu's house, as it was the biggest, which wasn't saying much seeing how Sarah still had to bend over so as to not hit her head on the ceiling. She managed to steal some quiet time during dinner preparations. Apparently, it fell to the women to cook, which meant the men had all left to find other means of entertainment. They tried to drag Sarah with them, but she reasoned by saying that as a woman her place was in the kitchen with the other wives (even though she didn't believe in that ideology for a second). It was nice once the men were gone. The house was quiet, and there was actually room to sit down.

At first, Wollu's wife, Lahna, wouldn't let Sarah lift a finger, saying she was a guest and more importantly a Queen. She should sit and be pampered, not pluck chickens and skin potatoes with the likes of them. Sarah's stubbornness kicked in at that remark, responding by saying that being the Queen meant she could do whatever she wanted, and if she wanted to help cook then no one could tell her she couldn't. In the end, she got stuck with dish duty.

Once the dishes were clean and set, she found herself feeling rather useless, as dinner wouldn't be ready for some time and Lahna had tactfully taken care of everything else while Sarah was washing dishes. Not wanting an awkward silence, she asked the Goblin about what had happened regarding the wall.

"We really don't know." Lahna started. "It was night out, we's was sleepin' an all of the sudden everythin' starts shakin'. Wollu got up to go see, but a big rock had come in and crushed through the door." She said, while zipping from one end of the tiny kitchen to the other. As Sarah listened, she noticed that Wollu and his wife seemed a great deal more intelligent than some of the other Goblins, and couldn't help but wonder why. "We's went outside, and everythin' was on fire."

"On fire?" Sarah interrupted. Lahna nodded.

"Yepp. Rocks were fallin down everywhere. Everyone was sreamin', runnin' around like chickens. A couple houses fell apart. We's was lucky we only had a hole in the door." The Goblin said, and paused as she struggled to lift a bowl of ...something. Sarah jumped to her toes and helped the little woman.

"What happened afterwards?" She asked. Lahna leaned against the kitchen table, and used the back of her hand to wipe her brow.

"Wollu and the others left for the castle. We's lucky we lives so close, when there's a problem we can just go to the castle. Other's have to wait." Sarah nodded, reaching into a bucket of silverware to help set the table. "It was still darks out when they's left. There was fire and smoke and dust, hard to see. When dawn came, the fires were gone. Some of the townsfolk that stayed started cheerin' that the rock storm was over, but I know it wasn't a storm. The wall fell down, but it was fixed by the time the sun came up." Sarah drew her brow a bit, contemplatively.

"If it was fixed, how do you know it fell in the first place?" She asked. Lahna looked back and pointed out the tiny kitchen window.

"Because of the roses." She said. Sarah glanced back, confused and had to hunker down to peer out the window. Low and behold, she was facing the wall. As she looked up it's massive face, she saw something strange.

There were vines, growing on the face of the wall. They were thick and tangled, but what was interesting were the brilliant golden roses that bloomed from them. It was dark out now, just passed eight o'clock she guessed, and the light from the houses shone and glint across their petals like true metal. She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head slightly, she'd never seen roses like that.

"What do roses mean?" She asked, finding herself entranced as she tried to take her gaze away from the window.

"Gold roses mean the spirit has come." Lahna said. Ok, that captured Sarah's attention, allowing her to turn away from the window. _Spirit? Is this...some kind of Goblin religion?_ She wondered.

"What spirit?" She asked.

"The spirit of the Labyrinth."

"The spirit of the Labyrinth leaves roses?"

"No. The spirit is the roses. It is the stone, the birds and the butterflies. It is everything. The vines mark the spot where the Labyrinth has healed itself. That's how I know it was the wall that crumbled." She explained. Sarah pursed her lips as she mulled this over, trying to discern if this were real or just Goblin folklore. Either way, Sarah found herself mightily interested.

"Do you know what made the walls crumble in the first place?" Sarah asked. Lahna shook her head.

"No. But everything is fixed now, so whatever happened must be ok." She said.

"Lahna, if you don't mind me asking...you and Wollu seem more -educated than the others, can I ask why that is?"

"You can ask anything you want of me, My Lady." Sarah glared a bit, but urged her to press on. "I was in the service of a Queen once, a long time ago. She liked to have her servants educated, somewhat. At least enough so as to carry out a decent intellectual conversation." She answered.

"What happened?" Sarah asked, curious as to how Lahna went from serving a Queen to...this?

"She passed on."

"Oh.."

"Yes. She passed on, and since my services were no longer needed, I was free to live my own life. I moved here, where I met Wollu. I taught him the things I knew as best I could." She said. Sarah nodded distractedly, reminded once again that there was so much going on in this world that she simply had no idea about. She was disrupted from her thoughts however, when the men suddenly burst through the door.

"Is dinner ready yet?"

* * *

"Wow, this is really good, Lahna." Sarah murmured, appraisingly, after shoving another forkful of dot dot dot into her mouth. She'd decided some time ago it would better to_ not _know what it was they were eating, as long as it tasted good.

"Thank you, My Lady."

"I told you, call me Sarah."

"Of course, Sarah." She said, uncomfortably.

Lahna's dinner for twenty had turned out exceptional. The whole block had come to honor Sarah, though now it seemed they were just in it for the food. She didn't mind, and actually preferred it that way. She was perfectly content sitting on the sidelines, listening to one interesting conversation or another, occasionally piping in about something. It was nice, worry free, fun. As she looked around the cramped room, catching the smiles of all her new friends, she couldn't help but wonder what her old friends were doing, where they were. She lowered her fork, unconscious to the frown marring her face.

"Something wrong, Sarah?" Wollu asked. They were sitting around a knee high table (knee high to Sarah), she was seated between Wollu and Reekuo, Lahna on Wollu's left. She turned her head to face Wollu as she thought over whether or not to ask.

"I just -got to thinking. Hey, do any of you know anyone by the name of Hoggle?" She dared ask. The group thought a moment.

"Hoggle?...uhmmm, no?" Was the general answer. Sarah frowned, wondering where in the kingdom Hoggle lived, and frowned further when realized she'd never bothered to ask.

"How about a monster named Ludo? or a Knight by the name of Sir Didymus?" She asked, only receiving blank stares.

"Hmm...no." They answered again. Sarah looked down to her plate, which was already clear of food. That was always the one problem with her never ending appetite -she was always hungry. Normally, she would have just asked for seconds, but the Goblin's small stature meant they had small stomachs and therefore a relatively small amount of food being prepared for dinner. There wasn't any left.

"Oh, that's ok." She said, gripping the rim of her plate as she thought, and then stood to deposit it in the sink. The once merry Goblins stared on, concerned.

"Sarah, are you alright?"

"Oh no, Sarah sad!"

She paused after setting her plate in the sink, her eyes catching the flash of the vines outside.

"No, I'm fine. Really." She said, turning back to smile and almost laughed at seeing just how big their eyes had grown, full of nothing but concern. "It's a little crowded in here, I'm gonna go get some fresh air." She said and carefully made her way out the back door.

It was cool out now that the sun had gone down. The sound of crickets chirping made the ground vibrate under her feet. It was so much louder now that she wasn't holed up in a mile high tower. And she was alone. As much as she welcomed the Goblin's company, it was starting to get a tad claustrophobic. She took a deep breath and made her way, through what the Goblins referred to as a backyard, to the shroud of the city wall.

It was beyond massive close up, each stone block weighing a few tons, at least. She looked up, finally able to examine the curious roses she'd been spying all night. They rested a few feet above her head, each one a glinting metallic beauty. She stood up on her tip toes and reached, but caught nothing but vine. She took a step back, and bent her knees before jumping up into the air, clawing at the nearest rose. She caught it, and pulled it down with her, not anticipating the thorns jetting from its stem.

She winced as the sharp edge of the thorns bit into her palm, but the pain was hardly there, clouded by the allure she felt over the curious flower. She held it in her hands, marveling at how voluptuous and healthy it was. Rarely had she ever seen a rose this fully bloomed and strong, its petals remaining firmly intact even after being yanked and jerked from its vine.

She brought it close to her face, and turned it from side to side, observing the way the light behind her reflected and glinted off of it. In curiosity, she brought a finger to poke at it, wondering if it were really made of metal. To her surprise, its petals were as soft as velvet. She looked back up at the wall, awed. _Spirit of the Labyrinth..._

"Sarah?!" A voice called from behind. She turned to find Nogi leaning out the back door. "We's all gonna play poker now! You wanna play?" He asked. Sarah smiled, feeling her happiness and all around good mood come back to her. She squeezed the flower a little tighter.

"Sure."

* * *

"Well guys, I think I'm gonna call it a night." Sarah said, laying down her hand. They'd been playing for a couple hours now, and it was getting rather late. Besides, since she was Queen, there was no way they were going to let her lose. They tried to play it off as cool, but Sarah didn't even know how to play poker, so there was no way she could have actually won every hand. She looked up to the clock, it was almost eleven, and still no sign of Jareth...

"Aw, really?" They all whined.

"Don't worry, I'll come back. And maybe you could even come to the castle." She proposed, hoping and succeeding in brightening up their faces.

"Ok." They said, and stood to head her out. "Thank you for fixing our houses. Goodbye, Queen Sarah." They said, pausing to give her room so she could open the door. She had a flash of wonder as to how she was going to find her way back to the castle when the answer was suddenly standing in front of her face.

Sarah didn't notice right away, it was only after she'd shut the door behind her that she saw the pair of guards waiting on either side of the door. She recognized them, not specifically, but their armor. One was blue, the other green, and both were riding the strange, droopy dinosaur things she'd run into while storming her way to the castle. They each held a spear in their hand, the blue guard with number 1 and the green with the number 3. The irony made her want to scoff, but she didn't. They were standing patiently, quietly, apparently waiting for her to make the first move.

"Ummm...can I help you?" She asked, feeling awkward with their silence and surprise presence in general. Their strange steeds stood to attention.

"Apologies, Your Majesty, we are under order to escort you back to the castle whenever you are ready." They said. Sarah continued to give them a peculiar eye.

"Escort? How long have you been out here, waiting for me?" She asked, confused as to why Jareth would send guards to collect her and then -not collect her.

"We've been out here most of the day, My Lady." The blue one answered. Sarah drew back a bit.

"If that's so, then why didn't I see you out here earlier?" She asked.

"Because you were not ready to leave. Our orders were only to approach you once you were ready to go back to the castle." The green one answered. Sarah glanced suspiciously between the two of them, trying to wrangle in the fact that Jareth had been keeping eyes on her all day, and wondered what else was watching her that she didn't know about. _Hm, so much for trusting me._

"Ok then, let's go." She said, and turned to start walking, but was cut off quick by both guards. She glared, about to snap at them, but they beat her to it.

"Would thy Lady prefer to ride?" The blue one asked. Sarah's eyes flickered down to their drooling beasts, and she winced repulsively.

"Uhh, no. I think I'll walk." She said. Not a second later, both guards simultaneously dismounted their carriers, and turned to walk along either side of her. "Um, just because I want to walk doesn't mean you have to." She said.

"Inappropriate." Said the green one.

"The Guard can not ride while the Queen remain on foot. If you will not ride, then we must walk with you." Explained the blue one. Sarah drew her brow.

"No, that's really ok. Please, it's pointless to waste your energy. Just get back on your -horse things." She tried to persuade.

"I'm sorry, My Lady. It is not our place. We must always be at a lower level to the Queen." They both answered, consecutively.

"Says who? As your Queen I order you to get back on your steeds." There, maybe that tactic would work. She really didn't want to be treated like she was up on some pedestal grounded by Jareth. It was really starting to bug her. They started to shift around uncomfortably.

"Says the King, My Lady. If he were to get word that we escorted you back on foot...while we rode...with your order or not, it would not be good. Please, Your Majesty. Either ride along with us, or let us walk along with you." She heard the bit of plea in their voices, as if they were scared of what would happen should they not do this. She frowned, knowing full well how they must feel about Jareth's repercussions. And she was only making it harder for them. She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But I'm still not riding that thing. If you really feel you should walk, then walk." She said, exasperated and throwing her hands up in the air. Seriously, why did it even matter?

The rest of the walk was carried out in silence, all parties seemingly content, though she couldn't really tell due to their helmets. It hadn't taken long to reach the castle doors, maybe because the whole time was spent burning through thoughts of what she would do once she got back. The giant doors opened effortlessly as she approached. She looked up the scale of them, wondering how they knew when to open, and then took a step across the threshold, pausing when noticing her guards didn't follow. She turned back, glancing at them expectantly.

"Our orders were to bring you back to the castle, My Lady." They said. Sarah narrowed her eyes, just a tad.

"Just the castle? Not the hall? Or the lobby? Or my room? Or directly to Jareth? Just the castle?" She asked, incredulous that Jareth wouldn't want her brought straight to him.

"No, Majesty." They answered. "But if you would like us to escort you to the King-" They stared, before being rudely cut off by Sarah.

"No. Nonono. That won't be necessary." She spat out, quickly, waving her hands out in front of her as if to ward them off. She didn't know how they would react to that, but they only straightened, taking their familiar stance and nodded. "Ok, well, thank you for walking with me."

"It is our privilege and honor, My Lady." They said, bowing their heads.

"Alright, well...goodnight then." She said, awkwardly. The two guards gave her a salute, and then backed away as the lumbering doors started to magically close.

* * *

Sarah stood in the dimly lit entryway into the grand hall. She'd never been out of her room this late, and found the castle to be uncomfortably empty. Her footsteps echoed in the dead of night, a sound that seemed so much louder now that the sun was down. She looked to her right, the stairwell leading up to the throne room was that way. Then she looked to the left, remembering that that hall inevitably lead up to her room. She found herself torn, not sure where to go. She was back, back in the castle and in the same residence as Jareth; but...she wasn't with Jareth. She felt odd, oddly bereft without his overpowering presence. She didn't think she'd ever get a day to herself now that she was with him. He was so domineering and -overwhelming, it seemed surreal that during the small amount of time in which she did see him today, he hadn't been interested in her in the slightest. Such a shift came with just as much welcoming as it did warning.

She thought she would be ecstatic to have a day devoid of Jareth, but now that it was over, the truth was, she just felt...uncertain. He was her one constant. Without him she had and knew nothing. Regardless of him taunting or tormenting her, she felt grounded to the situation just because he was in it, which spoke for itself in her current predicament. She had genuinely enjoyed her day without him however, needing to take a breather from everything that was going on between them; but that's what it was -a breather, a break. It was only temporary, she knew she would be coming back to face him. But what was putting her off in this moment was the culmination of all his strange behavior. He'd given her so much freedom today...he'd placed so much trust in her- not to run away, not to do something...horrible. He gave her a whole day without him. Was there a reason for it? Was he giving her space to make up for yesterday's indiscretion or something? And what struck her as even more strange, was the way she found herself lost in the middle of the hall -hadn't she wanted to get away from him? Was she expecting to go straight to him? Should she just go back to her room and sleep? Would he be waiting for her there? All she wanted was an arrow, something to point her in the right direction. Right now she just had -too many options. And it was crazy for her to even think that, to think that she actually wanted Jareth to give her direction, but the facts were that she was trying to run when she was still having trouble crawling. She needed a better understanding of this world before she tried to branch out into it and away from Jareth, and at its core, Jareth was her only real means of doing so. He was smart, powerful, and had all the answers. She found herself hanging off a ledge, clinging to whatever information he chose to give her, and as she thought over the past few days, she realized that she and Jareth had been arguing over so much pointless bullshit that they hadn't actually had a real conversation since he'd told her about the boar attack. Jareth was right when he'd said she needed control. She did need it, but it was impossible for her to have it and deep down, she knew that a part of her was calling out to have someone take control for her. That way, she would have a base line to focus on, something to settle everything else. But a larger, more dominant part of her brain would rather go to Hell than let Jareth take control. He wanted everything, no exceptions and that was a concession she simply could not make.

And on that note, a decision had been made. She turned and headed left down the hall towards her room. She walked briskly, her shoulders tensed and her stare hard, but she didn't quite know why. She reached her room much too quickly, and tried and failed not to burst into it, only to stop dead in her tracks with her hand still on the handle. She let out a tense breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. Her room was -empty. And as the weight started to lift and then resettle on her shoulders, she realized that she was in fact hoping to find Jareth waiting for her. She wanted him to be here, waiting arrogantly and patiently for her return. She wanted to see his smug face and mischievous grin. She wanted him to be there, so she could be angry at him.

After a moment, she let go of the handle and sagged her shoulders. What in the world was wrong with her? Why did she always want to fight him? Why? When things were perfectly fine, why would she want to prod him? She didn't have the answer to that question, but knew that no good would come from that kind of behavior. She needed to shake out of it, she'd had such a good day after all, did there need to be a reason why she couldn't have a good night as well?

She went to take a step across the threshold, but couldn't. If she was smart, she would have dropped the issue. She would have straightened her back and walked right in. She would have forgotten everything and climbed into bed, but she didn't. She couldn't just leave this niggling feeling unresolved, or she would go mad with her own thoughts. She knew that if she wanted any chance at getting some sleep tonight, she had to see him. She had to find Jareth.

Sarah turned on her heel and closed the door behind her. Half of her wanted nothing to do with Jareth. Half of her was screaming that going to see him was going to be a huge mistake. But the other half just couldn't leave the matter hanging. She hated dragging things out. Whenever there was a problem, she searched for the best and quickest way to solve it. And it wasn't so much that she had a problem at the moment -at least nothing significant that stood out from everything else- as it was that she had this nagging sense of unfinished business. She didn't know why, maybe it was her lack of company with him in general, but she felt an almost desperate need to see him, not throw herself at him or anything of the sort, but just to check in, to let him know she made it back ok. After she saw him -after she did that, then maybe this feeling would go away so she could calm down and go to bed.

She'd made it about ten feet down the hall before she realized she had no idea where he was. She thought a moment. He probably wasn't still in the throne room, and he definitely wasn't in her room. He'd said he had a lot of work to catch up on...and from what she could remember, Jareth didn't have one singular and grand office space where she could count on finding him. It was late, almost midnight, and she wasn't sure if he would still be working or not anyway. Maybe he went to bed...but then again, she couldn't see Jareth just going to sleep while she was still out and about, and if he was just lounging in his room, then she might as well give up now. There was no way she was going to willingly put herself in that deathtrap. And yet, her curiosity had her wondering just where Jareth's room was anyway. He hadn't showed it to her in their tour... She shook her head of that course of thought, right quick. There was one other room that held a chance -the library. It was grand enough, and certainly suitable to work in. Ok, she would check the library, and if he wasn't there then oh well, guess it's a night of restless sleep for her. With her destination now marked, she pressed on.

* * *

She found herself standing outside the library door within minutes. She rose a hand, but wasn't sure if she should knock first or just walk right in. As the seconds started to pass, she concluded that knocking would imply that she thought someone was inside -undoubtedly Jareth. So if she knocked, assuming that Jareth was inside, it would stand to tell that she _was_ in fact looking for him, giving him reason to question her motives; whereas if she simply walked in, it could be argued that they met by chance. She shook her head as her eyes re-registered her hand held tensed and conflicted in mid-air. She was over-thinking this way too much.

She tried to play it casual while opening the door, and then completely oblivious when walking inside.

The room was just as she remembered it, though a great deal darker. The fire off to the right was already well lit, implying that there _was_ in fact an occupant. She took a step inside and peered all around. It was quiet. For a moment, she wondered if this room was actually empty. But, as she turned her gaze, she found what she was looking for.

There was a desk to the left of the room. The light from the fire barely reached that far, but there were numerous candles lit all around. The sight of their soft, flickering flames worried her. What if one of the books caught on fire? There was so much knowledge in this room...

Her eyes lowered to find a quietly resolved-looking Jareth staring down as he wrote something on a piece of parchment. She froze for a moment, just plain intimidated to be in his presence, but nothing happened. She didn't quite know what would happen at this point, but she expected him to say something snarky to her, and at the very least she expected him to look up. But he didn't. He didn't acknowledge her in the slightest. She wondered if maybe he was simply too engrossed in whatever he was writing to have been paying attention, but another part of her couldn't help but think he was purposefully ignoring her.

She took a few steps closer, trying subtly to make him aware of her, but still she received nothing. The silence was starting to get to her. She suddenly felt full of trepidation, like she was barging in on him when she shouldn't be. She peered over the desk, and saw a mass stack of parchment off to one side. She couldn't hide her frown. It was obvious he was still working, and by the looks of it, wouldn't be done for quite some time. A voice in the back of her head told her to just back away slowly and pretend she was never there.

"Errhmmm-" She started, awkwardly clearing her throat when her voice caught. "Um...I'm back." She said, just over a whisper. Time seemed to be moving at an agonizing slow pace all of the sudden.

"So I see." He murmured, not bothering to look up at her. She wanted to glare at him. _You would see if you bothered to look at me._ Her thoughts grumbled.

She didn't respond right away, feeling awkward for even being there. He didn't seem interested in the slightest. Should she just leave? She felt her shoulders sag just a little. She turned, glancing back at the door.

"Did you manage to get everything taken care of in the city?" He quirked. She glanced back, but his gaze was still cast down, only now instead of writing, he was folding the paper and sliding it into an envelope.

"Yes..." She said, softly, her voice full of defeat but she didn't know why.

A minute passed in silence, and Sarah found herself standing awkwardly -again. Maybe she _should_ just leave...

"If you're busy I can leave..." She suggested, and only after realized that in doing so told him that she indeed wanted to stay. But did she? Didn't she just want to check in and call it a night? Something was off with her, but she didn't know what. All she knew was that she desperately wanted him to talk to her, to look at her, anything.

Jareth didn't respond right away, waiting until after he reached out for something that looked kind of like a spoon held over a flame. He pulled it from its holder and emptied some of its contents onto the envelope. She realized it was wax when he then reached for a stamp and pushed it into the dark red goo.

"I'm winding down now...you may have a seat." He said, and gestured for her to take a chair sitting quietly off to the side. She pulled it up a couple of feet so she was next to the desk.

She sat on the edge of her seat, with her head lowered as she stared at her twiddling thumbs. She felt like she was waiting to be scolded in the principle's office. Why did this feel so awkward? After a minute of continued silence, she started looking anxiously around the room, trying hard not to let her eyes fall on him.

"You've been out for quite some time, are you hungry?" He asked. She lowered her eyes and brought a hand up to her stomach.

"Umm, yes, actually." She answered. He rose a hand and snapped his fingers. Sarah waited, expecting a plate or something to spontaneously appear, but nothing happened.

"I'm surprised you came to find me, I thought you would have simply retired for the night." He mumbled, distractedly. She couldn't tell if he was really trying to start a conversation, or was just trying to put a gap in the silence. She heard the door open then, and turned her head back as she spoke,

"Yea well...I kind of have to, or else I won't eat." She said, using the excuse he'd just given her. A Goblin had entered the room, carrying a dining tray.

"Here then, take this." He said. She turned her head back around to see him placing a small bell on the desk between them. She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head, curious as to where that had just come from.

"What is it?" She asked, reaching over the table and clasping it by the handle. Her peripherals told her that the Goblin was now standing off to her right, waiting. Jareth still wouldn't look up.

"If you're ever hungry when I'm not available, you can ring that and the Goblins will bring you something." He explained. Her eyes traveled with his hand as he picked up the now sealed letter, moved it off to the side and tapped it against something. She narrowed her eyes. Set off to the side was a crystal. But this seemed different than the one's Jareth conjured. It was bigger, and imprisoned in a metal stand. She watched as he tapped it against the shinning orb, and gaped as it then disappeared. What the? He paid no mind, and moved on to reach for the next piece of parchment.

"Oh...thank you." She answered, quietly.

"Yes...now you'll have to come up with a different excuse the next time you want to see me." He said, sarcastically. She wanted to glare at him, but his face remained completely impassive. It wasn't like he was making fun of her, he was serious. She didn't know how to take that. The more he talked, the more apparent it became that he was still irritated from earlier. While she thought, she didn't notice him lean over to clear a corner of the desk. Once it was free of pen and paper, the Goblin was free to set the tray down in front of her. She turned to say thank you, but the creature was quick to scurry away. She frowned before turning her attention down to the covered tray. She rose a hand to lift the lid, but paused when Jareth spoke up again. "Think of what you want before you open it." She curled her fingers back, taking the time to think, and then re-proceeded to open the lid.

She set the lid off to the side, and couldn't help but lick her lips as the rich aroma of Lahna's home cooked chicken and *something-er-other* swirled around her nose. Her warm and fuzzy feeling didn't last long however, crudely disrupted by the uncanny feeling that someone was staring blatantly at her. She put her encroaching smile on pause, and surreptitiously flickered her eyes up.

Jareth had actually stopped writing altogether. He was staring at her now, with an expression both bewildered and concerned. She gaped back a bit, feeling suddenly put on the spot. His eyes were more intense than she'd expected, or maybe it was just the small flare of shock that stemmed from the fact that this was the first time he'd looked at her since that morning. Her mouth gaped open a bit, feeling an uncomfortable urge to explain herself.

"The Goblins...wanted to make me dinner. I thought it was really good, so..." She trailed off, smiling awkwardly and trying not to let her eyes meet with his.

"And you're still hungry?" He asked, blandly. Sarah shrugged.

"I have a big appetite." She answered, deadlocking her eyes onto the dark wood of the desk top.

"Do you even know what that is?" He asked. Sarah gave in to look up then, sensing something incredulous in his voice.

"Um, no. I know there's chicken and potatoes in there somewhere...I thought it best not to ask." She said. Her eyes widened just a tad when he suddenly smiled and started shaking his head.

"A wise decision." He said, mockingly, and turned his gaze back down to his pen. She reached for her fork and dug in.

"So..." She spoke up, after a few minutes. "Did you catch up on most of your work?" She asked. She'd never utilized icebreakers as much as she was with Jareth.

"Not really, I was rather preoccupied." He answered. Sarah's eyes flickered down to whatever he was writing. She tried, but couldn't read what it said. Aside from being upside down and in Jareth's curvaceous penmanship, she was certain it was in a completely different language. She started to daze off at the flow of the ink as it moved across the page. It was then that she realized Jareth was left handed. Hm...

"With what?" She heard herself ask, but wasn't conscious to it. If he was preoccupied with something more important than work, than what was it?

"Watching you."

Sarah swallowed another forkful before narrowing her eyes on him.

"Ah, yes, about that. You failed to tell me you were having me tailed by guards and who knows what else all day. So much for trusting me." She bit out, distastefully. His hand moved in a flash as he scribbled his name before setting his pen down and turning his gaze directly at her.

"It has nothing to do with trust." He said. She expected to hear some kind of irritation in his voice, but there wasn't. "You went off, alone, into the city blind as to what you could have been really walking into. You are the Queen, and regardless that this is your kingdom, that makes you a target. Believe it or not, not all of my subjects are the caring, whole-hearted beings you believe them to be. You aren't Fae, you don't have magic, and with the Labyrinth being in the condition that it was, I wasn't about to send you out without some form of protection." He was glaring a little by the end of his sentence. Sarah bit back her tongue, he was right in his own sense.

"I'm not Queen yet." She interjected, as if title actually made a difference.

"You are to me. And only one formality away from being that to everyone else. And regardless of title, the dangers are still the same. Would you have preferred to endure the walk back in the dead of night, alone? Or would you have rather had a battalion of guards circling you where ever you went?" He added. Sarah sunk down in her seat a bit, this was definitely like being scolded in the principle's office. "Protecting you has nothing to do with not trusting you."

"And watching me had nothing to do with the inkling that I would try to run away or something?"

"That was always a possibility, hence why I kept an eye on you, to see how you acted without my presence. I wanted to be ready in case the moment called for damage control." He said. Sarah scowled. _Ok, so he just admitted he didn't fully trust me._

"So you were setting me up, pretty much? And here I thought you were so against pointless turmoil. If you thought I might cause some kind of disaster then why did you bother letting me go out at all?" She asked, a little aggravated now.

"Because you're not a child, Sarah." His voice was suddenly louder, and even though he was no where close to yelling, it was intimidating enough to make her flinch back in her seat. "If I can't trust you enough to walk a couple of Goblins to their homes and back then why even bother marrying you?" There was a hint of revolt in his voice that caught her off guard. Her mouth gaped open a bit, but she couldn't respond right away. "You may be full of petulance, but you are _no_t a child anymore, and I will not treat you as such. You're an adult about to ascend to a great deal of responsibility. Am I wrong to put faith in the thought that you would rise and accept those responsibilities with purity and resolution? That you would put your spite for me aside when it came to enacting on those responsibilities to assist in the wellbeing of those creatures whom you claim to care for so deeply? I've already given you my faith and my trust, if you wish to have to earn it instead, then I will treat you like the petulant child you're aiming to be." He snarled with firmly restrained anger.

Sarah just -stared- abashed and ready to cry. His words hurt her, really hurt her. She felt exposed and undignified. It was only after his words stuck her, like a punch to the face, that she realized he was completely right. She was behaving like a child, purposefully. She questioned the freedom he gave her, instead of assuming that the freedom was already hers. No matter what it was, she was always first to rule him out as the bad guy. He had ...faith, in her. Faith do to what was meant of her...and yet here she was throwing it back in his face. She understood...she understood how important it was that she fulfill her duty as Queen, but he was right when he'd questioned her desire to have to _earn_ his trust. She'd assumed those were the rules, that each new freedom was a battle that had to be won. But that wasn't the case, at least where matters of her rulership were concerned. She felt...ashamed for her brashness. She placed zero trust in him, and yet he seemed to be trusting her completely. It was a hard thought to swallow.

"I know how serious the responsibilities of being Queen are...I'm...I'm sorry." She murmured, watching him from behind her hair. He'd lowered his head again, scowling, his penmanship becoming more harsh with lingering aggravation.

"Hm, I think you may have actually meant that one." He said, sharp and sardonically. Sarah continued to frown, sinking lower and lower into herself.

"Thank you...for giving me a chance." She murmured, knotting her fingers 'til they turned white. There was a split second's pause in the movement of Jareth's hand.

"You're welcome."

They didn't say anymore after that. Sarah felt like she had graduated from the principle's office to time out, and actually wished he would send her to her room just so she could get away from all the awkwardness. She looked down to her food, feeling zero amount of desire to reach for her fork. Instead, she recovered it and left it be.

"Are you full?" Jareth asked. Sarah felt her shoulders tense.

"I'm done eating, if that's what you mean." She clarified. He snapped his fingers, and a few minutes later, a Goblin was back to take it away.

She sat in silence, watching the steady conveyer belt of Jareth's actions. He would write something, then seal it in an envelope, and tap it against the crystal where it then vanished. He repeated this process, over and over. She glanced over and spied the stack of blank papers he had yet to go through.

"Have you been doing this for long?" She asked, hoping to relieve some of the tension between them. He had just reached for another sheet of paper when she spoke, and paused with his hand mid-air.

"A few hours." He said, and immersed back into his rhythm.

"And you still have all those to do?" She asked. There was a flash of a smirk on Jareth's face.

"Why Sarah, that isn't concern I hear in your voice, is it?" He asked, a little mockingly. Sarah drew her brow, trying to ignore his goading.

"It just seems very tedious, is all.." She murmured. He didn't respond, so she picked back up. "Can I ask what it is you're doing?" She asked.

"You can, but I doubt you actually want to know." He answered. Sarah pursed her lips at him, but after a moment, he started speaking again. "I'm sending out invitations." He said. He didn't have to explain to what. Sarah's brow drew tighter.

"To the wedding.."

"Yes." She pause for a moment, looking from Jareth, to the strange crystal and back again.

"That crystal..how does it work?" She asked.

"It sends the letter to its destination." He answered, plain and simple. Hmm. Her eyes lingered on the crystal a while longer, examining its stand and wondering if it were always there. A small idea flared in the back of her mind. If the crystal was always there...then maybe she could write a letter to her friends...

"And you have to write them all by hand? You can't just use your magic to do it?" She asked, taking her attention away from the crystal and all its promises.

"Such an intimate event requires an intimate connection to all those who partake. So, yes, they do have to be hand written, forging them otherwise would be disrespectful." He explained. Sarah found herself nodding as if she understood.

"And you have to do them all yourself? You can't have one of your advisors or something do it for you?"

"Normally, I would. But, the -_adviso_r- of which you speak is away at the moment."

"I thought you had a bunch of advisors?" She asked.

"I do."

"So the one who's job it is to write letters just happens to be away?" She asked, curiously. Her eyes caught on the stamp he used to seal the envelopes. It was the same symbol as the pendant he wore around his neck.

"No, the one whom I trust enough to handle royal documents is." He clarified. Sarah only grew more puzzled.

"So...is he special or something? Like...top ranked secretary?" She asked. Jareth smiled, and she caught the sound of a small laugh that he tried to hide.

"I wouldn't call him that." He said, now amused. She felt a tension leaving her shoulders, glad that he was no longer angry with her.

"So...where is he?" She asked.

"Dealing with some matters up north." Oh, that perked Sarah's attention.

"You mean the Northern Kingdom?" She asked. Jareth peered up at her. "I uhh, I asked the Goblins a little bit about the kingdom."

"Like?"

"Well...like where the Sulu district was...how many cities were in the kingdom." Her voice kind of trailed off in the end.

"If you have any questions about anything, Sarah, you only have to ask." He said. Sarah frowned, calling back on her earlier thought that they'd been fighting so much they never actually got a chance to just sit down and talk. But, that's what they were doing now, wasn't it? It wasn't so bad...

"Sulu's not located in the Goblin city, is it?" She quirked.

"No. That area is located on the border between here and Erastor in the east. It's very far away from us."

"How many districts are there?" She asked.

"Around eight hundred." Her brow shot up at that.

"What? Holy crap." She called out, louder than intended.

"They vary in size."

"And then there's the...Barrens?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand, is that like the countryside? The Goblins didn't seem to understand what I was talking about."

"The Barrens is an open stretch of plains. The soil is rather infertile. The only thing that really grows is grass, hence the name. The reason the Goblins didn't know much is probably because most life in my kingdom reside in cities, and few ever attempt to leave. Only rogues and caravans inhabit the Barrens." Sarah continued to stare blankly at the movements of his hand as he talked. She enjoyed learning about the Underground, and found their topic of conversation to be the least stressful one they'd ever had.

"And the Northern Kingdom? What is that exactly?"

"The part of my kingdom located in the north." Jareth answered. She rolled her eyes at his answer, everyone was so literal here.

"Never mind-" She said, a little exasperated. Jareth looked up to her then. "So, this special advisor of yours, does he have a name? And what makes him so trustworthy? Is he a Fae like you?" She asked, changing the subject. Jareth blinked as he tried to discern her reaction.

"Why so interested?" He asked, implying something mischievous. She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm not. Forgive me for trying to engage in peaceful conversation." She snapped, condescendingly. Jareth's small smile faded.

"His name is Roldan. And yes, he is of my race. I would never let a Goblin anywhere near royal documents." He said.

"That's understandable..." She mumbled, starting to glance absently around the room. "And he's in the Northern Kingdom? One of the Goblins I'd talked to told me no one goes there, that's it's too far away...and you said there's over eight hundred districts? This place must be huge." She said. Jareth peered up at her while she wasn't looking, wondering if she was purposefully trying to navigate the conversation away from conflict, it was very un-like her.

"On the contrary, I haven't given you any measurement or milage of said space. For all you know, each district could be no more than twenty square feet." Sarah tilted her head, just another reminder not to take anything for granted.

"Hmm..." She hummed as she thought. Jareth put his pen down to look up at her.

"There are many books in this library, you know; and I know for a fact that there are plenty on the geography of both my kingdom and the lands surrounding -if you're interested." He suggested. Sarah looked up at the bit of hope she heard in his voice, hope that she might actually reach out and accept something of him.

"I would like that." She said, her voice perking up a bit from her scolding. Jareth seemed to perk up as well, actually giving her a small, almost ghostly smirk as their gazes held one another's.

"So," He started, turning his attentions back to the task at hand, "aside from all the dust and beggars, how did you enjoy your day in the city?" He asked. Sarah's brow softened, feeling victorious in successfully averting one of the Goblins King's foul moods.

"It...was exciting." She said, and couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. "There's so much going on. And the Goblins are all so carefree. I admire them and the happiness they find in the most meager circumstances." She said, her voice gaining more and more fervor as she spoke. "Some of them happen to be very smart as well...say, on the topic of books, you wouldn't happen to have anything on Goblin folklore or religion, would you?" She asked, her mind on a clear ramble. Jareth looked up, confused.

"Why would you be interested in that?" He asked. Sarah shifted around in her seat.

"Well...it was just something one of the Goblins said."

"About what?" She met his eyes briefly at the serious note his voice was beginning to take.

"Just something about the..._Spirit of the Labyrinth_?" She asked, wincing as though unsure of herself. Jareth visibly tensed.

"What did they tell you?" He asked, dark warning was thick and tangible in his voice, but she didn't register it right away.

"Well, I asked about what might have caused the wall to fall...and we got to talking about how the wall was fixed...she told me a story about something called the Spirit of the Labyrinth. I was just wondering if it was just an old wive's tale...or if it was..true." She said, with a casual wave of the hand, completely oblivious to Jareth's darkening demeanor.

"What was the story?" He asked. Sarah shifted, bringing attention to the rose she still held in the pocket of her shirt. It was loose and baggy, so she wasn't worried about it getting crushed.

"That gold roses mark the spot where the Labyrinth has healed itself...kind of like a scar I guess. There were vines outside, growing on the wall, and they had golden roses growing from them. It just got me wondering...if Goblins had fairytales just like people do, or if it was something more." She looked up to find Jareth watching her intently, and widened her eyes a bit.

"Faith in existence is only as tangible as how strongly you urge something to exist." He said. Sarah blinked a few times, not sure on how to go about processing his words. He had moments like this, where he would sound so old and wise. She didn't quite know what he meant.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Everything that exists, has imagined itself into existence." ...Ok, what?

"How does that?- How does that make any sense?"

"How do you think magic works, Sarah? You have to believe in it, for it to work. You have to put faith in the impossible before it can become possible."

"So what does that have to do with gold roses?" She asked.

"Whether or not something exists as we see it, given enough faith, can exist as someone else sees it. Given no reason to the contrary, why should something be deemed fiction over fact when it is at its core irrelevent?" He tried to explain. Deep down, he was only grateful that that was the crux of her intel about the Labyrinth. If he could confuse her while educate her, it should make her content enough to move on from the subject.

"So...what you're saying is that it doesn't matter whether or not something is real...because as long as someone believes it's real, that is enough reason to make it real, to imagine it into existence?" She asked, with a squiggled brow. Jareth cracked a smirk at her expense.

"Generally." He watched as she pursed her lips, deep in thought over the matter. His smile broadened -success. He'd managed to divert her from thoughts over the spirit of the Labyrinth to something more general and philosophical. His job wasn't over though, he made a mental note to find whatever Goblin had been educated enough to tell Sarah all that. It wouldn't be good if she gained information from someone other than him.

"Do you know why the wall fell?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Could you tell me why?"

"I could."

"Will you?"

"No."

Alright, this was getting irritating really fast.

"Why?" She asked, sharply.

"Because it's none of your concern."

"Is there a reason why it's none of my concern?"

"Because it was an issue dealt with by the King. And it has been dealt with, there's no reason to dwell on it." She kept quiet at that. He seemed to carry that sentiment over into more than just punishing her. She looked down, fiddling with the flower in her pocket, and wondering what could have happened that would keep Jareth from telling her...

"Sarah?" He quirked up, drawing her from her contemplations. "About the roses, you didn't pick one, did you?" He asked. Sarah tilted her head and scrunched her brow, distracted and thoroughly pulled from the moment.

"I thought you were watching me?" She countered.

"Not every passing second."

"Uhhmm, yea, I did pick one, why?" She asked. Jareth placed his pen down on the desk and brushed his papers off to the side, leaning over a bit as he asked,

"Could I please see it for a moment?" He asked, oh-so-nicely. Sarah stared him down, remembering yesterday's confrontation about him seeing her picture. She'd gotten out of hand then, this was a chance to rectify that.

She glanced down, rummaging through the folds of her shirt as she searched for the opening. She pulled it out, pleased it was still intact as she had hoped, and passed it to Jareth. She wasn't sure if he felt the same way as she did, but she found herself holding her breath as she waited for what he would do next.

Jareth took the glittering flower from Sarah's hold, visually examining it in front of her. She didn't know, but this was more than just a flower, it was a remnant of Liana's magic, and therefore a part of her. He wasn't sure, but it could hold some influence over her if exposed long enough. He thought about destroying it then and there, but got another -better- idea just in time.

He took the flower in both hands, and made a sphere around it. Sarah watched eagerly and concerned from over the desk as he started churning his hands around it. When he let go, the glinting golden rose was encased in a perfect crystal, frozen for all of time. He rolled the ball along his fingers as he finalized his handiwork. There, she could keep it now, as whatever bit of Liana's magic was now locked inside behind Jareth's.

"You shouldn't go near unknown foliage, it could be dangerous." He said. Sarah's eyes widened, and she leaned over the desk suddenly.

"Why? Is it poisonous?" She called out, worriedly. Jareth looked at her strangely. He rose an implying eyebrow at her, urging her to explain. Sarah darted her eyes around the room. "I-I cut myself on the thorns when I picked it. It's not poisonous or anything, is it?" She asked, just a tiny bit frantic. Jareth's whole brow rose slightly at her display of panic, panic that was not directed at him. He found it cute.

"Let me see." He said. She didn't hesitate to offer him her hand.

He held her by the wrist, and ran his thumb over the tiny scratches.

"You'll be fine." He said. She pulled her hand back to find her scratches gone. "Here." He added, offering the crystal back to her.

Sarah reached out with both hands, taking careful hold of the crystal as Jareth plopped it in her palms. Her expression was awed as she brought it close to her face, turning it from side to side. She was completely marveled, her flower looked even more beautiful frozen, like an amber fossil. As she scanned her eyes over every petal, she joyed at the thought of it never damaging, or wilting. Yes, she like this new version even better. She lowered her hands into her lap, and tried to hide the small smile on her face.

"Thank you." She whispered, sounding embarrassed to actually be happy about something Jareth had done.

"You're welcome."

She sat, and tapped her fingers mindlessly against the orb in her lap. This was actually turning out to be rather...decent. As she thought over the course of their night, she hoped he would be swamped with work more often.

"When is the wedding?"

Jareth arched a brow.

"You want to talk about our wedding?" He asked, incredulous. Sarah darted her eyes off to the side and back to him.

"Well...I'd at least like to know when it is...so I can brace myself." She tried not to wince at the thought.

"In a few weeks." He answered, plainly, and went back to scribbling his name. Sarah perked up at that.

"A few weeks? I thought it would have been sooner..." She hadn't really meant to voice that last part, but it just kind of came out. Jareth tried not to glare.

"Yes...I originally had it scheduled for a few days from now but...I think you need more time to adjust before all that." He said. Sarah stared at him, wordlessly urging him to continue. "Aside from warming up to me, you have a lot to learn before you can assimilate into the role of being my Queen." He further stated. Sarah furrowed her brow. "Using our previous conversation as an example, you need to learn what exactly it is you're going to rule over. You need to learn the laws that govern this land, both formal and social, and you need to learn the laws that govern other lands. And, equally important, you need to learn proper etiquette befitting your position."

"Etiquette?" She asked.

"Yes. You will be expected to act a certain way among others, both subjects and peers. While I give you reign on how to conduct yourself in private, there will be no exception on how you act in public." He smirked, feeling her glare growing.

"And how exactly am I supposed to act?" She asked.

"We'll jump that hurdle when we come to it." He said, making an overly obvious joke about Sarah's athletic experience. She scrunched her nose at him. She hated being told how to act, what was proper and that she wasn't good enough. Urg, she could feel that heated disaster coming a mile away.

"I know what you're thinking, and that's my very point. You need more time to be better attuned before you take over any real responsibility." He said. Sarah huffed at his reasoning, but was secretly glad she now had an extension, a little while longer to hold off the inevitable.

"Well, thanks, I guess." She grumbled, realizing that she was thanking Jareth for an awful lot tonight.

"Don't sound so glum, one might think you weren't completely ecstatic to be holding onto that pride of yours for just a little while longer." He said, though his voice wasn't as snarky as his words implied. She frowned, not wanting to be reminded that come their wedding day, she would no longer have any say over her own body. She really hoped Jareth wouldn't live up to his threats. _ He said he wouldn't rape me...but he thinks that being his wife will grant him automatic consent... _ She looked off to the side, clutching her crystal a little tighter. She'd had such a good day, she didn't want it to end on a thought like that.

"When can I go back to my room?" She asked.

"You may leave whenever you wish." Her head popped up to him, but he only gave her an eye in return. "I didn't summon you here. You came to me of your own accord, so you may leave whenever you so choose." He said. She blinked at him from across the desk, just now remembering her _freedom_ and realizing that she was indeed the one that kept herself there. It was her intent just to check in, and yet it'd been almost two hours that she was sitting there with him. She stood from her chair, awkwardly.

"Ok, well, goodnight then." She said, and quickly stepped over to the door. She touched the handle, and looked back over her shoulder. Jareth's attentions were once again on his stack of papers, oblivious to her leaving. She gripped the handle a little harder, and frowned, looking away from him sharply. She felt, odd, and realized she'd been feeling this way all along. It was only now that she was able to put a name to what she was feeling -hurt. She realized then, that the reason she felt so hurt, so out of place, the reason she wanted Jareth to talk to her so badly; it was because...because she _wanted_ his attention. She wanted his eyes and his focus on her, only her. After days of being the center of his attention, now, seeing him completely content with or without her, she just felt...empty. It was wrong, and just the thought of it made her angry, but it was true. She wanted his attention. That was why she tried picking fights with him, that was why she'd tried demonizing him every chance she got, so that he would focus on her. She felt disgusted, disgusted with herself for feeling this way, but that was the only way she could describe it. She'd told herself earlier that he was her anchor, grounding her to this world, whether it be from anger or any other emotion, she needed that sense of gravity. She needed it from him.

Her hand fell from the door, as she slowly turned back around. She counted to ten, waiting until Jareth inevitably looked up to her from across the room.

"I...I don't really want to be alone. Would it be ok if I just...stayed in here and read?" She asked, hesitantly.

"You don't need my permission." He answered, and turned back to his work.

Sarah lowered her head. Ok, so she hadn't gotten much more of his attention, but maybe being in the same room as someone else would help all the same. She walked over to a random book shelf, not even looking as she pulled out a binding, and made her way to sit in a chair beside the fire.

She curled her knees up to her chest as she flipped through the pages, but she wasn't looking. It was dead quiet, with nothing but the low crackle of the fire to fill the void. She spied on Jareth from over her book. He was across the room, and was hidden mostly in shadow and dim candle light, but she could see him well enough. Things seemed different today. _He_ seemed different today. Was she going crazy or was he actually acting like a -decent, tolerable, normal person? Maybe it was just the lack of sexual assault and temptation that brought about this change in view. Her mental image of Jareth was becoming harder and harder to maintain. He brought a new level to the meaning of mercurial, saying the least. Yesterday he was so vicious, she was actually cowering before him. And now, she felt...content. She wanted to talk to him. Was it all him? Or was something about her changing as well?

She narrowed her eyes as she watched him, looking so reserved and professional. For a moment, she allowed herself to admit how handsome he was, how elegant the contours of his face looked against the soft highlight of the candle fire. For a moment, she allowed herself to think of a lot of different things. But, in the end, he was still Jareth. He was still cruel and manipulative and hurtful. It didn't matter how many subtleties of kindness he had, if they never measured up to a single majority of depravity. She looked away, and flipped back to the first page of her book. _Botany of the Underground, Chapter 1..._

* * *

Jareth looked up from his desk with a small sigh. He'd just sent out the last letter, and was finally starting to feel the brunt of his exhaustion. He'd been up all night. After his skirmish with Liana, he'd had to deal with the Goblins and trying to catch up on work. He hadn't slept or rested since the night before last. He leaned back in his chair and stretched, glancing up at a nearby clock, he saw it was a little past 2:30 in the morning. He sighed again, and bent forward as if to stand.

He paused in his movement, his eyes catching on Sarah's curled up form as she lay passed out in a chair. Truth be told, he'd forgotten she was still there, but was glad that she had chosen to stay. He rose from his desk and rounded the corner as he made his way to her. As he observed her image growing larger with each step, he couldn't help but wonder what had sparked her change in demeanor. She had actually wanted to talk with him, to be in his company. If he hadn't been so preoccupied, he would have exploited that fact a little more thoroughly.

He stood before her, and knelt down to pull the open book from her hand, and set it down on a nearby coffee table. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, and her arms hugged tight around them, clutching her crystal. He reached up, and brushed away the hair from her face. He loved watching her sleep, it came with a certain kind of danger, like wallowing into a lion's den. He remembered thinking that very same thought the first night he approached her, and smiled at how unexpected and -invigorating it was having her turn the tables on him in her dream. He wondered if, once she regained her footing, she would return to the clever, fiery spirit she was that night.

She murmured something in her sleep and shifted a little tighter into herself. It reminded him of just how tired he was as well. He stood, and wrapped his arms underneath her, cradling her as he picked her up. She didn't stir.

He turned and made the journey back to her room, marveling at how she felt like a feather in his arms. He felt himself sag a little as the last bit of tension left his shoulders. He knew he'd been rather brisk with her today, and he hadn't directly intended to do so. But, after making several realizations about Liana, combined with his lack of sleep and general frustration, he couldn't help but take some of it out on her. With that said, he couldn't believe how well the night had progressed. She hadn't screamed, hadn't cried once because of him. He didn't threaten or hurt her. And what was even more uplifting, was that given the opportunity, she hadn't run away. He was cautious about how much intel she was acquiring about the Labyrinth, but he also thought that if he told her enough to satisfy her, she wouldn't go digging for deeper answers, or so he hoped.

He looked down as he carried her through the hall, and smirked when he saw how tightly she was gripping her crystal. He turned his smile inward to himself, pleased with his decision not to simply take it away from her. It seemed to make her happy, and it was because of him. Score one to team Jareth.

He was careful when opening the door to her room, and treated her like she were made of glass as he laid her on the bed. He stood, looking over her and her dust-covered attire and realized that wouldn't do. He bent down, and pressed two of his fingers to her forehead, ensuring that she wouldn't wake and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

He started with her boots and socks first, shaking his head at her stubbornness. He didn't want to think about the day he told her she had to start wearing corsets and skirts. He then scooted up, and untucked the hem of her shirt from her pants. He imagined how she would react if she knew what he was doing, but he wasn't such a fiend as to molest her in her sleep. What would be the point? No, he much preferred her conscious and responsive.

He slid her leggings down and off of her. Her shirt had conveniently fallen to cover over the tops of her thighs. He tilted his head as his hand just barely grazed along her pale skin, now glowing in the moonlight. She really was beautiful while she was sleeping. He pressed his hand flat against her thigh, but it wasn't sexual. He sighed, exhausted by the prospect she was proving to be. He thought he would win her over easy, her dreams spoke for themselves. It was her pesky pride that was slowing everything down...

He took his hand from her, and began pulling her shirt up and over her head. Her body was limp and languid in his arms, he was actually finding it a little difficult to handle her, having to support her neck with one hand while he finished removing the last of her shirt with the other. He laid her back on the bed, her dark brown hair creating a frame around her. Why couldn't she be this serene when she was awake?

His eyes roamed down and around every curve he saw, feeling a slow burn that came with his longing to touch her. Before he could get too distracted, he turned away, and stalked over to her dresser, depositing her crystal on the vanity before fishing out one of her night gowns. He walked back to the bed, and repeated the same process of removing her shirt, only in reverse as he now dressed her. He then wrapped a hand behind her neck and lifted her up, reaching behind with his free hand as he unclasped and removed her bra. He still didn't really understand them, he found corsets much more entertaining. They left more to the imagination and required more skill to dismantle. But, Sarah's Aboveground-esque wardrobe was just another attempt at making her feel more accommodated. A part of him wondered why he waited to take her bra off, why he hadn't just removed it when initially disrobing her. He drew his brow, and rationalized that when he saw her, he wanted her to be just as aware of the experience as he was.

He laid her back down on the bed once more, and covered her with the duvet.

He knew he should have left then. He knew it was time to go, but for some reason, his feet wouldn't respond. He knelt down on the floor so he was face to face with her and ran his hand down the side of her face, removing the sleep ward. He stared at her for a moment, wondering how in the world he could ever make her fall in love with him, how in the world he could manipulate her into submission. His mind drew a blank, seeing nothing but a stretch of time as the answer. But that wasn't an answer. He didn't want to wait. He needed her submission, he needed her to give in. Only then would he be able to claim his power from her. There were two ways to gain control over the Labyrinth, one involved taking it by force, and the other involved it being given freely. He needed Sarah to give it to him. That was the only option, because he couldn't-he wouldn't take it from her. But she couldn't know, or she would rise against him. No, he needed to keep her blind. He needed her to give in, to submit -body, mind, and soul. He needed her love.

She sighed in her sleep, drawing Jareth from his dark daze. Being manipulative was proving harder now that he actually had her in his arms -or..clutches. He couldn't keep his head when she was near, she was just too God damned infuriating. He let out a sigh that matched hers, and cupped the side of her face as he leaned in closer, and placed a soft -almost nonexistent- kiss on the crown of her forehead.

* * *

**A/N- Ok, so this chapter is really long, the longest one I've ever written in fact. The events in this one were pretty mellow, kind of like, oh-I-don't-know, the calm before the storm maybe? (oops, is that a spoiler?) All I have to say, is be ready for some ...not so mellow events to be exploding all over the place very soon. After writing this chapter, I fully realized just how long this story is going to be...and that is incredibly, as I consider everything up to this point to be within the beginning 5% of the plot. Hope you enjoy, and hang in there for the long run,**

**-FGBX**


	9. Hope And Its Other Like-Forms

**A/N - Ok, this chapter is ridiculously long, so I broke it up into two parts. Hope you like it. Merry belated Christmas, and Happy Holidays. =)**

* * *

Chapter 9, Hope And It's Other Like-forms

Sarah rolled onto her side and began to stir. She gave a groggy smile through the clearing haze, as she ventured out from the dark depths of slumber. She felt something warm press against her back, sending a humming tingle straight to her toes. She drew her shoulder up to her cheek as she squirmed beneath the blanket, and continued to squirm as the feeling traveled up her spine to the base of her neck. She turned her head then, slowly rolling over to confront this strange sensation. The soft heat made a ring around her shoulder and lazily meandered onto her collarbone. Her smile broadened, and she fluttered her eyes open just in time to watch herself raise her chin as Jareth lowered his lips down to hers.

She felt the same warm pressure against her lips, and felt the same strange sparks coursing through her. She murmured unconscious appraisal into his lips and closed her eyes once more, welcoming him. He leaned over her, and wrapped an arm under her shoulders as he pulled her closer. Her arms found their way around his back, as she opened herself to him.

He sucked on her lower lip, slowly and deliberately, and rolled his tongue along hers in a wet and sensual caress. He moved to lay on top of her, and gently reciprocated the waving movement of Sarah's body as it pushed and pulled against his. She felt the heavy pressure of his body against hers, felt the warmth that radiated from him, and unwittingly pushed her pelvis up to grind against his. He made a low sound in the back of his throat, but refused to let go of her lips. The moment seemed to drag on and on, caught in a deadlock of light touch and firmly restrained brutality as Sarah floated on the cusp of consciousness. He began to press against her more firmly, more deliberately, and something in the air began to shift.

She pulled away and drew in a breath.

"Jareth? What-" She started to say, before his mouth took hold of hers once more. She pulled away again. "What...are you doing here?" Her voice was light and breathy, floating with confusion. He didn't answer, merely moving down to kiss along the artery already pulsing wildly in her neck. She tightened her grip around his shoulders. "Jareth- what's going on? Why are you in my bed?" She asked. Her eyes started to trail about the room, but couldn't focus. All she saw was shadow and dim light.

"Because you want me here." His response was low, and vibrated through her already heated flesh. His hands moved down to encompass her hips, and slowly trailed up, conforming to the curves of her waist.

"Wha-no? I...no, I don't." She said, very uncertainly, and began pushing against him with barely enough strength to say so. Something seemed amiss, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He took his hands from her waist and brought them to her face. One hand held her cheek, while the other stroked stray hairs from her face. He rose his head, their eyes meeting a mere inch from one another.

"Yes, you do." His voice was soft, caressing her more sweetly than the light touch of his fingertips against her temple. She drew her brow, and tried to stare hard into his eyes. There was a strange sense of empathy in his voice, of compassion even; like a mutual understanding was passing between them that she was both aware of and unaware of all at once, and it became tangible, through the connection of their eyes. The more intense it became, the more it grew, the more it turned into something else. This understanding, this connection, it spurned an aberrance and suspicion that was slowly frolicking to the forefront of her mind. Her confused expression hardened into a scowl, but was not allowed to voice itself as Jareth's hand secured itself to her jaw, momentarily snuffing out her concern by claiming her lips once again.

There was a hesitancy to her response, but a response she gave all the same. In the process of sitting up, her shoulders began to relax and she settled back into the bed. She even closed her eyes, succumbing to the spell that was Jareth's kiss. And as he pried open her mouth with no effort at all, a small flare went off somewhere within the dark and murky depths of Sarah's subconscious. She opened her eyes and pushed against him.

"No-" Her muffled voice proclaimed. She winced and turned her head away, her hands turning into fists as she pushed up against his chest. He enveloped her fists with his hands, and held them against him. She opened her eyes and peered up, surprised with the delicateness of his force.

"Why?" He asked. Sarah stared at him for a moment, not quite able to grasped the simplicity of his question.

"Because...because..." She started to say. And as the words stumbled over themselves, Sarah's mind came into crisper view. She narrowed her eyes, gazing up suspiciously at the hazy and angelic image of the man looming over her. "What's going on? How- how did- This... No, no. This... this must be a dream." She murmured to herself, slowly shaking her head from side to side. There was no way this was happening. How did she even get here? Why was Jareth being so...she couldn't even come up with a word for it. "This is a dream. ...?" She said, staring him straight in the eye. Jareth looked...disconcerted, maybe even a little sad. He scrunched his brow in a kind of pouting expression that didn't sit well on his face.

"If this is a dream, then why does it matter?" He countered. Sarah's eyes darted around the room, which still refused to come into focus.

"I - I don't want to do this." She said, uncertainly, and tried pulling her arms free. Jareth conceded her movement only enough so that he could re-pin her hands to the bed on either side of her face.

"You do, or we wouldn't be." He said, and kissed her again. For the third time, Sarah watched herself give in, to join the flow that passed between them through the connection of the mouths. But there was something else looming in those waters. She could feel it, the ease, the pleasure, the mindless submission - no. She pulled away, and fought harder to free herself of his hold.

"No. Stop. I don't want this." She whimpered, tossing her head away from him. Jareth released her hands, and caressed down her neck.

"Why do you always insist on fighting? If this is your dream, then what does it matter?" He asked. Sarah gave an exasperated sigh. He was right, if this was a dream then why shouldn't she enjoy? If only it were that simple.

"What matters is whether or not you are Dream Jareth, or Real Jareth." She stated, but the question was obviously implied.

"Why does that matter?" He asked, but she refused to answer. "You would concede if I were a figment of your imagination, but not if I were the real person whom you are fantasizing about?" He continued, his tone implied the absurdity of that train of thought. He lowered his head to nip along her sternum.

"Yes." She answered, gruffly, and tried pushing him by the shoulders. Jareth reared back a bit, his body consuming her view plane. He rested on his hands, which were planted on either side of her shoulders, caging her in. She kept her hands pressed against his shoulders as she waited for his next move.

"Do you truly not desire me so?" He asked, with both sincerity and disbelief. Her eyes couldn't help but widen at the bleakness that laced his voice.

"If you're a dream, then this is all harmless. But, if it's really you, if you're invading my psyche, then this needs to stop. Now." She said.

"You're making this more complicated than it need be, love." He said, into her skin. She tried to fight the shiver as the echo of his pet name radiated through her chest.

"No...this isn't complicated. What's complicated is what will happen when I wake up. Hence my question: are you Dream Jareth, or Real Jareth?" She asked, while trying to squirm out from under him -an action resulting in total failure.

"It doesn't matter." He mumbled, and ground his hips hard into hers. His movement caused her to shift up the bed a few inches, and the sharp, twisting feeling that came with his contact caused her mouth to drop open. Her fingers dug a little deeper into his shoulder.

"Yes- it does."

"Sarah-" Jareth interjected, taking hold of her hands and commanding her attention as he forcefully pinned them to her sides. "Whether I am imaginary or not, this is your dream. And since this is your dream, everything I do will be what you want me to do. You can fuss and complain all you want, but you forget, figment or not, I am in your head too. You can not lie when you are here. You know what you want, just as well as I. So, it makes no difference whether or not I am material." He said. Sarah opened her mouth wider, about to protest, and huffed up her chest a bit in equal preparation.

"If I say I don't want you then I don't want you, and should you not obey my wishes it would mean that you are in fact Real Jareth, and as such this will go no further." If she could have stomped her foot, she would have. She looked away from him sharply, trying to focus on her anger and his arrogance as she fought out of his grasp. He entertained her folly for a moment or two, before a dark and haunting smile crawled across his face. He tightened his grip around her arms immensely, and pressed the full weight of his body flush against hers in an effortless attempt to subdue the minor thrashing. He then rose her hands above her head to hold in one of his own so he could take her jaw with the other and make her face him.

"I disagree." His voice seemed to rumble with a salaciously primal hiss and growl in the background. She pursed her lips and tried to jerk her head away. "You say you don't want me? I think you do, Sarah mine. What you don't want, is to admit it." He bit out the last T with predatory arrogance. Sarah narrowed her eyes and glared. Oh yeah, this was definitely Real Jareth.

In a sudden movement, he let go of her hands and jerked apart her legs. Like a green light, she instantly started pushing against him, but he was quick and determined, and had already nestled himself right where he needed to be before she had any chance at staving him off. He kept his hands spread around the base of her thighs, reveling in her petty punches and light grunts as she let loose her frustrations.

"Don't worry, I think there is a way in which we may come to a happy medium." He said, and languidly glided himself inside her.

Sarah took in a deep breath, filling her lungs in order to counteract the overwhelming fullness of down below. She kept her mouth clenched tight, and stared hard into the hallow of Jareth's neck. He pulled out, and thrust back in, a little harder this time.

He then gently took told of her hands and pinned them, for about the fifth time now, to the bed, and brought his face close enough to hers so that she couldn't help but catch his gaze.

"You want to pretend not to want this? Fine. Let's pretend." His voice was crisper, darker than before. He finished his sentence by thrusting into her hard, sheathing himself up to the hilt, rolling his hips and then doing it all over again, and let out a low and airy moan.

Sarah coughed from the abrupt force of Jareth's thrust. Her hands flew from his limp hold and dug deep into his shoulder. He ignored her escape, and picked up his pace until it became ruthless, punishing almost. She gritted her teeth as she tried to brace herself.

"Jareth, STOP. Please-" She whined, and then whimpered when he laughed into the crook of her neck.

"Mmm, just like that.." His voice was low, weighed down by laden arrogance.

"Ugh, get off of me!" She shouted. Jareth turned his head and sucked on her neck with a hidden smile.

"You're so good at this." He hummed.

"Stop RAPING me!" She roared, irritated more than anything at this point.

"I think you would be more upset if I were raping you, dear." He answered, and tenderly kissed her cheek.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked. Jareth rose a hand and fisted it in her hair, jerking her head back until she was forced to stare him straight in the eye.

"Because you want me to." His echo hummed in the air around her. She glared at him, using the connection of their eyes as a distraction. Her gaze flickered over his face -his wide beaming eyes, the pale shine of his skin, the wretched curl of his sneer- and grew hotter and hotter with animosity.

"Fuck you." She snarled. His sneer stretched, and he lowered himself for a kiss. She responded with a bite.

"Such appropriate slander." Her face flushed anew and her nostrils flared violently.

"Get the fuck off of me, Jareth! If this is my dream then why won't you stop!" She started flailing as best she could, gaining more and more fervor the longer he laughed at her. Feeling her wriggling growing out of hand, he took hold of her arms and held them up in the air.

"Because you want to fight me. And I want to fuck you. This is our happy medium." He spoke sharp and level, firmly pressing her arms down to the bed as his words sank in.

Sarah was rather speechless. Was that really what was going on? That was the logic he was using to justify this? Even if it was just a dream? She jerked sharply against his grasp.

"You're twisted. Let go of me!" She shouted. Jareth responded by resuming his grind.

"Mmm, that's right. Fight me." He murmured, and churned his hands around her wrists, tightening until she winced. He lowered his head and bit raggedly along her clavicle. She tried to fidget away, but it was useless; he wasn't being gentle anymore. She felt her face grow hot with the sheer force with which he was thrusting into her, and felt her entire body glaze over from the sharp and hard pressure of pain that he inflicted onto her tender flesh. She continued to struggle, before slowly realizing that _tha_t was what he wanted... All the while, she fought to ignore the steady thump of her own despicable desire pulsing in the background.

Sarah was useless in the fight against Jareth's quickening onslaught. Her body wouldn't listen to her mind, and her mind itself was becoming more and more distant. Her mouth gaped open as she took in rough and heavy breaths, trying desperately to focus on _not_ succumbing to Jareth's sinful undulations. He wanted her to fight, and so she was trying her best to remain indifferent. She focused so hard on everything _not _Jareth, that everything around her started to fade. She didn't know how much time was going by, what Jareth was doing to her, what she was doing in response. All she knew at that moment was her breathing...

"See how compliant you are?" Jareth's voice rang clear as day through her haze. "_The moment_ I take control you stop fighting." He continued. Sarah peeped open her eyes, allowing herself to come back to the moment, to find herself utterly writhing beneath Jareth. Her arms, once fighting feverishly against him, lay languid and lifeless on either side of her face. Jareth's grip on them was just enough to support himself. She turned her head back to him, and inevitably locked herself in his gaze. "You want this, Sarah. You want me to control you, so that you have an excuse to lay back and enjoy it." He muttered, his own breathing coarse and ragged. Sarah drew in a deeper breath, causing her chest to rise and brush up against him.

She rolled her head back, and let out a breathy moan, a moan that soon turned into frustrated groan.

"No. I will not give in to you." She bit out, and looked back when Jareth started laughing. She drew her brow on this, suspiciously.

"Who said anything about giving in? It's called pleasure, Sarah. Pure, innocent, guilty, pleasure." He said, mockingly, and rolled them both so she sat astride him. "You want to control you, and you want me to control you. But there are two forms of control -submissive, and dominant. And you, my dear, want both." He said, with a wicked, dastardly grin. Sarah continued to look puzzled, almost forgetting that fact that he was still pressing heavily inside her. They were both sitting nose to nose, and as Jareth finished his sentence, he leaned back to lay on the bed -still holding her arms captive. "You want control? All you have to do is take it." He said, and released her hands.

Jareth's words seemed to echo through her mind, holding more impact than initially registered. She felt awkward for a moment, not quite sure what to do as she sat straddling Jareth. She kept her eyes locked with his, and examined the haughty expression on his face. This was a test, no, a challenge -another game. She would not lose.

"This is my dream." She gritted her teeth with the affirmation and leaned forward to rest her hands of Jareth's chest. "I control what happens." She muttered again, stronger this time.

Something powerful was starting to flow and sway within her then, a kind of deep realization that could only be fathomed within the lost depths of her subconscious; but that was where they were, and so while completely unobtainable, it was, in that moment, there and clear as day. If this was Dream Jareth, then everything he was saying was a reflection of her own mind, telling her things she already knew. And if it wasn't... Regardless, he was right. She needed control. This, her dream, it was the one place she had ultimate control -over everything. Jareth may be able to poke and prod, but Sarah had the power to turn the tables, to make her own decisions. And this was it, this was that palpable moment in which that feeling became something more than simple OCD. She could do what she wanted, she could make the choice. If she wanted to do this, it would happen. It wasn't about spite or pride- She could do something for herself. In that split second, waking up held no consequences, and Dream Jareth v. Real Jareth didn't matter. She had the power, she had control.

She rolled her hips and pressed down.

* * *

Sarah groaned and rolled onto her stomach. There was a churning, floating feeling pushing through her abdomen, making the transition from slumber to consciousness smooth and drift-like. She kept her eyes closed, still stuck in her inhibition-less mindset of controlled pleasure. She pushed her face into her pillow, and reveled in the warmth of her own breath as she exhaled into the plush fabric. She squeezed her thighs together, and registered her hand between her legs -the probable cause for the overwhelming feeling of heated bliss gorging on her sanity.

She moaned again, quiet and muffled, lost to herself, and writhed into the sheets. Her dream was over, she was awake now, she knew that; but the feeling wasn't yet satisfied. And after waking, she realized how much more -intense- that feeling had become. She was floating in a strange sense of lucidity, not quite registering reality, and yet fully aware of the absence of fantasy.

She pushed her fingers harder, pressing over her most tender spots in a manner that made her wild enough not to care, but kept her in line enough not to cause a public disturbance. She continued to squirm, listening to her own muffled moans, and pushing herself further and further until she felt the heat in her cheeks. She thought to roll over, to find some place cool and take in fresh air; but she secretly loved the heat, the consumption that came with it. It drove her higher and higher. The closeness, the consumption, the total freedom, the utter possession. She couldn't escape it, and she didn't want to.

She was starting to lose herself to the point where her fingers were becoming flimsy and hard to control. But, one undetermined flick caused everything to burst and fall over the edge in a cascade of carnal satisfaction. She hummed in the back of her throat, and slowly relaxed into her bed, laying flat on her stomach.

A second or two ticked by, before she finally opened her eyes and glanced about the room.

She shrieked and jumped to her knees in a nanosecond.

*Gasp* How in the world could she forget? How in the bloody Hell could she let herself do that? Knowing where she was and who was probably watching the entire time? Jesus fuck. She clutched the blanket to her chest and darted her head frantically all over the room. Her heart beat furiously as she scanned for the whereabouts of Jareth, and felt the heat in her cheeks start to fade as she realized she was alone.

"Oh, thank God.." She said, exasperatedly, and relaxed a little into her heap of blanket. She had barely enough time to register the fact that she was in a nightgown when the distinct sound of footsteps treading across the floor began to echo from around the corner. She almost yelped when Jareth suddenly appeared in front of her.

He was adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves, standing tall and casual in every sense. He looked up, and an honest flash of surprise lit up his face. He tilted his head just slightly, and turned to pace towards the bed.

"Well, you're up early." He said, full of morning cheer, with a boyish smile to match.

Sarah's face boiled until she was as red as a lobster, and sat utterly frozen as he approached. He slowed a bit, observing.

"Are you alright?" He asked, narrowing his eye just a tad. Sarah's eyes widened and she gulped before darting her gaze every which way, prolonging the inevitable incoherent babble. Dear Lord. She'd never been so embarrassed, never in all her life been in such a panic. Not more than two seconds ago she'd been quite blatantly masturbating to _him_. And she had no idea if he knew anything about it. _ How to react? How to react? Play it cool? Or go on the offensive? AHHH._

He was closer now, standing at the post of the bed. His expression seemed honest enough, full of concern and a twinge of amusement. She took in a breath and held it.

"I'm fine." She peeped, as if just speaking would send her over the edge -a different edge this time. Jareth's brow twitched, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked. And although his voice was sincere, she caught sight of the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She focused on it, and used her suspicion to compose herself.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She snapped. Jareth almost looked taken aback by her sudden glare.

"I wouldn't know, hence the question."

"What are you doing here?" She snapped again. Jareth's brow rose, now very much intrigued with her strange morning state.

"I came to wake you, but you seem to have that taken care of." He said, dubiously.

"So, you're saying you just got here?" She asked, and seemed to let out some kind of relief through a long breath. Jareth's attentions continued to narrow.

"Yes...why?" He asked. Sarah's blush reddened anew, and she darted her eyes away.

"No reason." She piped. Jareth took half a step closer.

"What were you doing just now?" He asked, his voice perked up with something naughty. Sarah's jaw clenched and her brow rose high as she tried and failed to remain aloof.

"Nothing."

"I wouldn't happen to be intruding on something, would I?" He asked, mischievously, his imagination starting to run rampant, as he encroached evermore on the poor pitifully petrified Sarah.

"Like what?" She asked, feigning indifference, and scooted away from him to the other side of the bed.

"Oh, I haven't the slightest clue." He said, and finally let his smile show. "Well...except for your strange bedside manner that is." His eyes and teeth were suddenly sharper. Sarah felt like a poor piglet about to be devoured by the big bad wolf. "I say, you're not blushing, are you?" He asked, and bent down to sit on the edge of the bed.

"No." She snapped, and could feel her heated cheeks start to burn as her blush intensified.

"I haven't caught you doing something indecent, have I?" He asked, with all the wickedness in the world put into one simple smile. Sarah almost coughed. Was he fucking with her? Or did he really have no idea about her dream, or what she did after she woke up? She didn't know which was more embarrassing, knowing it was the Real Jareth and having him know it too, or keeping the secret that it really was her own dark and twisted fantasy. She scooted until there was no where left to scoot.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She tried to sound offended, but only resulted in confirming her own guilt.

"No? You seem awfully embarrassed, and I dare say skittish over nothing." He leaned forward, and rose a deadly brow in her direction.

"And you seem to be perfectly well posed and calculated." She snapped.

"And what do you mean by that?" He asked. She clung to the blanket for extra support.

"I think you know." Jareth's brow drew then, a little confused, or uncertain at least.

"Should I?" He asked, both to her and himself. Sarah eyes darted in a flash. Then something clicked, his fantastical imagination solidifying into reality. Jareth's demeanor darkened, deliciously, and his shoulders hunkered down in an animalistic stance as if he were about to pounce on his prey. "Sarah, did you have a rough night's sleep?" He asked, just barely restraining a laugh. Sarah was so red she was approaching purple.

"What ever you're alluding to, you can just stop right now. You were in my head again, I know you were, so stop pretending." She snapped, angrily, and only grew more so when his grin then stretched from ear to ear.

"Actually, I remember explicitly staying out of your head last night." He said, confirming Sarah's deepest fears. _Fuck_.

She thought she may have swallowed her tongue just then, because she couldn't formulate speech for the life of her. She'd never been so embarrassed, and now she knew she could have prevented the whole thing. She could have played it cool and he would have never thought twice. Damn it! And, on a side note, she'd had some pretty interesting revelations between her and her psyche. Hm... At least Real Jareth wasn't a part of it after all.

"Care to tell me what it was you were dreaming about?" He asked, playfully. Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"Not you." She said, and crossed her arms. Jareth tisked at her.

"Sarah, I'll warn you once not to lie to me, ever, about anything." He said, putting just a hint of warning into his otherwise warm and cheerful voice.

"Fine. No, I don't care to tell you what it was about." She said. He shrugged and rolled his eyes.

"That's fine, I'd rather see for myself, anyway." He said, and jumped her from across the bed.

As it always seemed, Sarah reacted a split second too late. Jareth was on her in a flash, pinning her down and straddling her as she flailed in surprise. He held her down, and wrapped his hands around either side of her head. He held her for a moment or two, and she tried not to notice his expression as it changed from amusement, to brief concern, confusion, awe, and then victory. Total, arrogant fucking victory. He looked down to her, and she could swear she'd never seen his smile so radiant. He let go of her head, and she huffed and puffed in frustration, refusing to look him in the eye.

"Well, you certainly had an interesting night." He said. Sarah tried her best to shoot lasers out of her eyes.

"Get off of me!" She growled, her embarrassment fuzing into rage. Jareth sat back on his heels, resting his hands on his knees as he reveled in her distress.

There were a multitude of ways Jareth could have handled this situation. He could have behaved very badly, as was his first inclination. He could have taken advantage of Sarah's shame, exploited it to its fullest extent, and inevitably ended up in having to deal with either her blood-curdling rage, or her in a pitiful heap of sobs. He could have been very rash, and impulsive, as was his nature. He could have reveled in his amusement openly and fully at her expense. He could have done a lot of things. But during the split second in which he thought this all over, he realized what a rare opportunity this was, and as such needed to be dealt with strategically. He leaned down, and laid flat on top of her, mindlessly fiddling with the tassels dangling off the trim of her blanket.

"You know, for someone as perverted as I know you are, your sexual fantasies are rather dull." He said, blandly, with his eyes cast down. Sarah's eyes widened and froze in slight mortification.

"E-excuse me?" She asked, dumbfounded. That -was not an anticipated response on Jareth's end.

"Well, they always seem to pick up in the middle, with both parties conveniently in the nude, and both decently hidden within the masses of an ever-present bed in an ominous setting. Your positioning is basic, and the course of the whole scenario seems to follow a set pattern of events. It's very ...simple. I find it rather adorable." He said, and stole a peek at her expected look of abhorrence.

Sarah...didn't quite know what to do. How do you respond to something like that? Especially when it's coming from Jareth of all people. She thought of numerous responses, but none of which she thought would be appropriate or beneficial to her in the long run.

"Adorable?" Was all she could come up with.

"Yes, your ignorance in this matter is very _adorable_." He annunciated the last word, letting it catch on his tongue deliberately as he locked his eyes with hers for the briefest moment. He looked away and smiled to himself. He'd peeked her interest, success.

"What do you mean ignorance? I know my way around the birds and the bees if that's what you're getting at." Alright, she may have felt a little offended. She hated the way he patronized her, his unwavering arrogance. She did not need Jareth gloating over her in the matters of sex; She did not need Jareth doing anything over her at all.

"Really? Care to share?"

"No."

"Your awkwardness only proves my point." He said, sounding so satisfied with himself. Sarah huffed through her nose. He was still laying on her. They were each quiet a moment before Jareth continued, "I was right, you know -in your dream." Sarah perked up. "It is just pleasure. You make it seem so complicated, like life and death." He paused to take in her scowl. "It could be so easy for you, like a dream. I could show you-"

"I know how to have sex, Jareth." She snapped, harshly. Jareth peered up at her. That wasn't exactly where he was going with that sentence, but she'd opened a better door. A sneer curled one side of his lips.

"Oh, I assure you, you don't." He said, dark and dangerously. Sarah scowled further.

"Yes I do, contrary to what you might think, I have dabbled in the area of copulative relations. I'm not the starch white virginal archetype you think I am." She said. Jareth's eyes just got brighter and brighter.

"You're not? My senses must be dulling. What have you done? What ever it may have been, I can guarantee it will be nothing compared to what I will do to you." He said, and she couldn't help but notice his use of the term _will_. "Tell me, what makes you so knowledgeable?" He asked. Sarah's jaw drew tight, she really, really didn't want to have this discussion with Jareth. But, the side of her brain occupied solely with anger and pride was pushing for her to stake a claim, put him in his place. And even still, a very, very small part of her was whispering that they were going to be married soon. Wouldn't it be better to have this talk?

"I've done-"

"You've done what?" Jareth interjected. "Fondled and poked and prodded? Based on the simple, romanticized context of your dreams, I'd say you haven't the slightest idea of what it truly means to be with someone." Sarah closed her mouth. It seemed like this conversation was somehow turning into a lecture.

"Your dreams are nothing but fluff and haze. You realize that in a dream you don't actually _sense_ anything? You don't feel the warmth of a body pressing against yours, you don't smell the heady musk of pheromones that span around and between two people in the throws. Your scenes pick up in the middle, do you have any idea how to even start?" Sarah was watching him eagerly now, observing the steady grow of his own passion in speaking.

"Everything is so clean and pristine to you, you really think that's what it's like? Shimmering light and matted sheets? Sex, my dear, sweet, ignorant, Sarah, is anything but. It is dirty. It is despicable. It is messy, and frenzied and nothing like your romantic fairytales. You can't imagine dirt and grime, the sublime of it, the total consumption of it.

"You've never experienced the heat, the blistering heat that suctions tattered clothing to your skin with thick and delicious sweat, that slides slick bodies up and down one another once it's been ripped away. You've never smelled the aromas of each other's arousal mixing onto one another, or felt each other's fluids dripping down and smearing between your thighs. You've never seen the evidence of which that will stain your sheets, witnessed the smeared disfigurement of your face in the mirror, or the battered mess your hair will be in and the pain you'll go through to brush it out. You have no idea of the exertion you'll feel, of the exhaustion that comes with total satisfaction. But, more importantly, you can not possibly hope to imagine what it would feel like to have me inside you, to be stretched and filled and pushed over the edge and pulled back again. All of these things, every aspect and so much more, you could never come close to imagining. So go ahead, tell me all the dirty little things you've done with your mortal boys. It won't matter, because you have done nothing if it has not been with me."

Sarah stared, aghast. There were a myriad of thoughts and emotions floating around in her head, none of them good. Jareth's description of sex... On one hand, it revolted her that he could think that sex could be nothing more than animal fucking -which is the summary she got from him. Surely, sex could be nice and gentle and -clean...? And on another hand, Jareth's words invigorated her. Just speaking of this topic ignited an unfamiliar fire. The passion in his voice turned possessive, as if he were offended to even entertain the idea of her past exploits. Jareth or not, from man to woman, his words were having a very dangerous effect on her. It was...exciting, and Jareth himself was excited while talking about it. She felt something in the pit of her stomach, an ache that she rarely felt. And she knew what it was. She was turned on, big time, just from the carnality of his words. But that was bad, especially after that morning. She should not be thinking or feeling these things for Jareth -not for a long time, at least. She pushed his words away. Pride to the rescue!

"You seem pretty sure of yourself."

"I have every reason to be." He answered. Crap. She hadn't thought this far ahead.

"Yeah... that whole 'I'm the master of the sack' arrogance thing? It may work for the women you're used to, but it's a total turn off for me." Her inner self threw one fist in the air and jumped, screaming Ah hah! in victory. Yes, that was a good, cool response. She followed it up by lazily rolling her eyes away from him.

"Ah, then what _does_ turn you on?" He asked, retaining his playful mood. Sarah tried crossing her arms over her chest, which was rather difficult given Jareth's proximity.

"Not you." Jareth was about to counter when she continued. "What are you doing here anyway?" She asked. It seemed to work as a distraction.

"I was thinking that I rather neglected you yesterday, and so I planned on making up for it today." He said, eerily cheery.

"Oh, joy." She responded, sarcastically, and rolled her eyes back to him.

"You're ecstatic, I know." He said, equally sarcastically. Sarah almost laughed at him, but didn't. She liked when he was in a good mood -obviously, because he wasn't tormenting her. But it was also like standing alone in the eye of the storm, you never knew when everything could turn to total shit. "I do wonder though..." He started. Sarah turned back, curious with the distant tone of his voice, as if he was just voicing something he'd been pondering for some time now. "Why, in all your dreams, you're never a starch white virginal archetype?"

Sarah blinked. This was too personal of a question to just talk casually about with Jareth. Also, she was too busy pondering that question herself. She'd never really thought of that.

"How do you know?" She countered, giving herself more time to think.

"Because I do. You young maidens always make such a scene of it. I wonder, through all your romantic haze, why you never feature that in your fantasies."

Sarah pondered. She pondered not the answer to that question, but the answer she would give him.

"That would be because losing my virginity to you is not one of my fantasies." She said, and just like that a dead weight had fallen and shattered the air between them. The light in Jareth's eye dimmed subtly, and his smile began to fade. That wasn't quite the brick wall of an answer he was expecting, but one he himself could have quite easily guessed.

"You don't know what you're saying." He said. Sarah felt her ears tense with agitation. "Do you think it will really be so bad? What would be the harm?" Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"The harm, my dear King, would be to my pride, my conscience, and my free will." Jareth started to shift off of her.

"You're still under the impression that I'm going to rape you." He almost mumbled. Sarah sat up a little.

"Being married won't grant you my automatic consent." She said. Jareth paused, and turned back to her.

"That's what you think will happen?" He asked, sounding to be in general disbelief. Sarah sat up a little straighter.

"That is what will happen, isn't it?" She asked, just a little awkwardly. Jareth rose his brow, which sagged in a kind of frown.

"I know what rape is, Sarah. I told you, the night you came here, I would not."

"But you said 'come our wedding night, you will submit to me' ." She reiterated Jareth's previous sentiment.

"Yes." Sarah almost shook her head, confused.

"Well?"

"You will give yourself to me, not because I force you or because we have a contract. You'll give yourself to me because you'll want to." He said. Sarah scowled hard.

"And what if I don't?" She asked, sharply.

"I have very little doubt of that."

"You really are just that arrogant, aren't you? It's amazing." She said, exasperated and disgusted at the same time. Jareth thought to be offended, but chose otherwise.

"No, you just have no idea what it is I'm offering you, yet." He said, and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I don't want what ever it is you're offering me. I thought I made that pretty clear the first time." She said, and quickly snapped her mouth shut. There was a snap in the air just then, and a definite oops moment that had Sarah quickly rethinking her actions. Jareth's expression visibly altered. He looked dark and -brooding. Shit. She did not want to deal with angry Jareth, well, not this early in the morning at least.

"I don't think you know what you want. Better yet, I think you know exactly what you want, you just don't want to admit it. You don't want to own up to it, because you're afraid of what might happen once you actually have it." He hissed. Sarah frowned, she could feel the sting in his words. She actually felt...bad. Hmm.

"And you're the one who wants to marry me." She said. Jareth's ears twitched, but she couldn't figure out what emotion had caused it.

"Yes, I do...I'd like you to ready yourself." He said, his voice sterile and business-like. Sarah frowned further, she really felt bad for -for what? Hurting his feelings? Why should she care? She should be glad she'd hurt his feelings, for making him suffer in some small way that could never in a million years compare to her own. But even the thought of that made her feel like a horrible person. She didn't like to target others like that, apparently even Jareth -though he deserved it. She scooted across the bed, still wrapped in the safety of her blanket, and sat next to him. He wouldn't look at her, sitting stiff and stoic. Mr. Moody was back.

"Did you bring me to bed last night?" She asked. He peered down out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes." She looked down, over her night gown.

"Did you dress me?" She asked. Again, he peered down, wary and curious of her reaction.

"Yes."

"By magic or by hand?" She asked.

"If I said magic, you would be less offended, but you wouldn't believe me. So, regardless of whether or not I truly did one or the other, I will say by hand." He answered. Sarah pursed her lips, her first reaction being to lash out at him and call him a perv and scrutinize him for violating her while she was unconscious. But, wisely, she held her tongue. This was about pulling him out of his dark mood, after all.

"Well, I guess I can say thank you for not leaving me crumpled up in that chair all night." She said. Jareth turned toward her fractionally, cracking just the faintest hint of a smile.

"Sarah, are you trying to lighten the mood?" He asked, his voice quirking up an octave. Sarah looked away.

"Yes." She said, unsure what his response would be. She wasn't ready when he leaned into her, his nose just barely avoiding the sensitive lobe of her ear. His breath sent a chill down her spine. He was right about not actually being able to _sense_ anything in a dream..

"If you want to lighten my mood, I know better ways you can go about doing that." At first, all the little hairs on the back of Sarah's neck froze in dreadful anticipation, before her mind caught up and put a firm scowl on her face.

"Ya know what? Never mind." She said, and threw back the blanket as she stalked towards the bathroom. She didn't notice Jareth's attention flicker down to the bed, and then back up at her. And she didn't notice the spark that blazed his eyes back to life.

She'd just made it to the door, wrapped her hand around the handle, when all of the sudden Jareth turned her around and threw her into the door. She hit the wood with a gasp, and her heart kick-started in a mini flurry with the sudden surge of surprise.

For reasons unknown to Sarah, Jareth had her firmly pressed against the bathroom door, his body filling her entire view and a new, energized smile lighting up his face. Though his face was bright, his demeanor was dark. It was a strange, ominous combination.

"What are you-" She managed to say, before being rudely cut off by Jareth's face pressing roughly into the crook of her neck. His fingers flexed and tightened around her biceps, and lifted her just a bit, so she had to stand on the tips of her toes. She kept as stiff as a plank, caught completely off guard and not having the slightest clue as to what was going on or how to handle it.

He moved downward, over her clavicle, and that was when she realized what he was doing. She'd thought that maybe he was angry, or maybe he would to try assault her again. Both of those options were still on the table, but at the moment, she realized that all he was doing was -smelling her. She wasn't sure how to take that.

He hunched down a bit, running his nose down the front of her chest and inhaling deeply. She continued to remain motionless as he made the round of her bust, and continued even further downward. It was only when he reach her abdomen that he stopped, and nuzzled his face into the fabric of her nightgown.

"Don't move." He said, and slowly released her arms.

Sarah - didn't move. She didn't know why, because every fiber of her being was telling her to run away, but she didn't. She stood completely still, as if locked in a standoff between her and a deadly beast, any break in stance would show weakness, and the creature would pounce and rip her to shreds. She wasn't sure how far off that parallel was, but that was how she was feeling at the moment. She lowered her head and watched as Jareth's hands clamped down on her thighs, squeezing both gently and firmly as they groped and pulled at her nightgown. She tilted her head, wary and intrigued. The way he was moving...he seemed conflicted, like he was holding back from something, and it was that unknown something that made her stand all the more rigid.

His head started to move again, inching lower and lower until he was kneeling on the floor before her. His hands ran up and down her thighs, before one finally decided on a course of action and feverishly pushed up the hem of her nightgown. Paying her no mind, he jerked on her newly exposed leg so it was out and bent at the knee. She leaned back against the door for balance, heavily contemplating turning the knob and trying to lock herself inside, knowing that all it would do is invoke his anger. He held her leg with one hand, and ran the other up the inside of her thigh. He nuzzled his face into the path of his hand, seeming to be lost in a strange sense of bliss as he took in her scent. _Wtf?_ She quietly wondered. His nose reached the junction of her thigh, and a sharp jolt of anxiety shot up her spine, but she did well to suppress it. He nuzzled his nose into the delicate folds of fabric and exhaled slowly. She could feel the heat of his breath on an already heated part of her body, a part that he was dangerously close to and could very well feel the radiating heat as well.

"I think I know why you were blushing so feverishly when I first came in." He mumbled. The vibration of his voice made her knee want to buckle. She wanted to answer, but couldn't. "You smell..." He started to say, and lost himself as he closed his eyes and pressed his face into her leg. "Unbelievably intoxicating." He finally finished, after finding the much needed focus, and moved up around the line of her waist. "The blanket covered it well, but...you're not under the blanket anymore." He murmured, and lightly nipped at the spot below her navel. She became very wary with the strange sense of -ecstasy? she heard in his voice. The way he moved and spoke was languid, lax, and animalistic. If she didn't know any better, she would have entertained the thought that he was high on something. He'd inched himself almost under her, holding her leg practically over his shoulder. She had no idea what to do but as he said -don't move.

"I don't think I've ever smelled something so divine." He said, and nipped at the fabric over her hip. Sarah's breath started to quicken, with both panic and -something else. "Thinking of you doing this to yourself, and knowing it was while thinking of me...fight me all you want but I long to make you cum for me, to feel the heat and the wetness of it." His nose and lips had made it to her other leg, and his free hand was starting to creep up under the hem of her nightgown. "Your pheromones are so strong...it's like a drug." He murmured. Ah, so she wasn't far off. Was he really affected so much just by smell? A smell that she couldn't even detect in the slightest? It was then that she remembered he wasn't human, his senses probably worked differently than hers, maybe they affected him differently as well? That idea seemed ...primal. Hm, a literally animalistic Jareth. Now that was a scary thought.

Sarah found herself in a most interesting predicament. She wanted to run away-, run far, far away, lock herself in a very small room and wrap herself in a cocoon of up to twenty or so blankets. She wanted to be anywhere other than where she was. And yet, she'd never heard someone say something so erotic -to her -about her. Begrudgingly, dazed and lucid Jareth was igniting the more primal side of Sarah's libido, with or without her consent. She couldn't decide what to do -aside from not move.

"There's so many things..." He started to say, just as the tip of his nose began to graze along the thin material shielding him from her hot and reluctantly ready center. She wasn't sure if it was reflex or conscience that gave her voice.

"Jareth-" She spat, in an obvious plea to cease. He paused, just barely being pulled from his moment. "Jareth, I-" She was looking down on him, waiting for him to look up at her. He pulled away a little more, so she continued. "I-I don't want-" She didn't get to finish, or she didn't have to, rather. Her voice was cut off by a low sigh from Jareth, who dryly released her and finished pulling away. She couldn't quite tell if he was defeated, or just bored. Either way, she got her wish. He stood, and looked down on her.

"I suggest you scrub hard." He said, coldly, and stalked away.

* * *

And on that interesting note, Sarah took her leave into the safety of the bathroom. She emerged some time later, after spending most of her escape pondering what to do once she came out, and then making the realization that she forgot to take clothing in with her.

She curled her fingers around the plane of the door and peered around the corner, and tried to act indifferent as she stepped from the bathroom to her dresser. She clung to her towel almost desperately, burning Jareth with her stare out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting in a chair, facing away from her, as per usual, and absently juggling a crystal along his fingertips. She crinkled her nose at his profile, irritated that she was so aware of him all of the time and yet he could completely cut her off from his surroundings with seemingly no effort at all. She opened the closet door and grabbed the first thing she saw.

Her second venture out of the bathroom was done with only a smidgen of confidence. She felt a little awkward in the clothing she'd chosen - knee high pantaloons and a long overly-baggy button down shirt. Even to her, this outfit seem just a tad too androgynous. But, oh well, she wasn't about to fret with Jareth prowling about the room. She approached him cautiously, not sure if he was still irritated or not. He was still fiddling with his crystal, and from its reflection she could tell he was watching something. The brief moment of distraction allowed her eyes to roam from the curve of his nose all the way down to his worn leather boots, casually crossed at the ankle and propped up on a coffee table. She turned her attentions back to his face after catching a flash twitch of his brow out of the corner of her eye.

"What, no boots today?" He asked, while simultaneously flicking the crystal away. Sarah leaned back on her heels, looking down the length of her exposed shins to examine the pair of soft and cozy slippers snug around her feet.

"Uh, I guess not." She answered with a shrug, and kept her eyes glued to his profile as he stood and moved away from the chair. "So...I'm stuck -I mean, graced with your pleasant company for how long?" She asked, surreptitiously stepping in his path as he moved through the room. He paused to give her a flash of a smirk as he glanced at her from over his shoulder.

"Would it be too cliché if I said forever?" He asked, rhetorically, and carried on. Sarah pursed her lips at the back of his head, and tried with all her might to simply erase their disturbingly arousing indiscretion only an hour ago. She realized, some time ago, that that was the only way to get on with life -just try to ignore it.

She followed him into the parlor area of her room, and watched as he took a seat at one end of the dining table.

"Sit." He ordered. He flicked his gaze up when she remained still, and he rose an expectant eyebrow in her direction. She raised one back. "Would you please have a seat?" He corrected, with a sting of shame hidden in his voice. She crossed her arms over her chest and plopped herself in the chair adjacent his. "Are you hungry?" He added.

"Kind of.." She conceded, and tried not to slouch in her seat. Jareth looked away, and reached for something across the table. Her eyes followed the line of his arm and saw the object he had reached for was in fact the small bell he'd given her last night. Her face perked up at that, as she also remembered the crystallized flower he'd given her. She wondered where it was...

"I put it on your vanity with the rest of your mementos." Jareth mumbled. Sarah's head twitched back to him, and drew a suspicious brow on the way he'd answered her thoughts. "If you were wondering where your flower went, that is." He added, and turned to catch her gaze as he held out the bell to her. "Would you care to do the honors?" He asked. Sarah's blank expression flickered from his eyes down to his hand, as she reached out to take the bell by the handle, trying and failing to avoid physical contact with him. She almost winced when their fingers brushed one another, and whether reflexively or deliberately, Jareth's hand twitched in the most subtle of caresses. It was a moment that passed within the tenth of a second, but its presence seemed loud and agonizing as Sarah ignored the hum of warmth that came from it, and ended the gesture just as casually as it was intended. Without another look to Jareth, she rang the bell. They sat a moment, waiting, until the door suddenly opened, revealing a very skittish looking Goblin carrying a tray. It scuttled over, bowed -first to Jareth, then Sarah- placed the tray before her, bowed again, and scuttled away as if it had never been there. Sarah's mouth hung agape and she frowned, missing yet another opportunity to thank the waiter. She didn't dwell on the matter however, and turned her attention back to the covered tray, marking the fact that there was only one.

"Don't you ever eat?" She suddenly asked, a little hostility, and rolled her eyes with the blank expression that was Jareth's response. "I never see you eat, only once when we had that boar stew..." A small smile burnished his lips.

"I eat. I'm just not accustomed to the kinds of food you prefer." He explained.

"Well, I don't care. It freaks me out, the way you just sit there and watch me."

"So, what do you propose exactly?" He asked, mockingly. She huffed at him.

"A compromise. What would you like to eat?" She asked. Jareth rose his brow at her, this was perhaps the first time she'd ever asked what _He_ wanted.

"Well...I tend to skip breakfast altogether, if you really wanted to know." He said. "But, since you're trying-" He added, and reached over to remove the lid from her tray. "I could do with something light, I suppose." She looked down and saw the platter littered with toasts and different kinds of fruit jams. Hm.

"Alright then..." She said, with a shrug, and reached for a butter knife.

* * *

"So, what's the plan for today?" Sarah asked, as she wiped a few stray crumbs from the corner of her mouth. Breakfast was progressing in a comfortable, relative silence, but she knew it would soon be coming to a close. Damn these awkward silences.

"Well, I don't really have one." He said. Sarah's eyes brightened.

"You mean to say that the all mighty Goblin King doesn't have a plan?" She asked. Jareth cracked a smirk at her tone of voice and looked away before responding. It was strange, even to him, how they could go from such a terrible state of relations to -this- friendly and complacent, and back again, so fast.

"Well, when you put it that way, my_ plan_ was to be in your company. But, if you want specifics, we could finish touring the castle, if you'd like." He suggested, and took a sip of the tea that had been conjured to accompany their breakfast.

"Ok." She agreed. Touring the castle was a mindless, impersonal enough task, one that would be sure to get them through a good chunk of the day without causing some kind of travesty. Plus, she was a bit curious to see what other strange rooms the castle had to offer. And the mindless meandering would give her a kind of solitude during which to properly close off the morning's affair.

"Shall we be on, then?" He asked, and stood from his seat. Sarah blinked as she shook her head clear of distracting thoughts and stood with him.

* * *

"I think all you're missing is an indoor swimming pool."

Jareth smiled coyly behind Sarah as he closed the door to what he had stated was the final room in the castle. They stepped out into the hallway, which Jareth had also informed lead back into the great hall connecting to the castle gates. Sarah turned and leaned against a wall, rolling her ankles in an attempt to ease their slight achy-ness.

As expected, their journey was far and wide, and took an exaggeratedly dragged-out amount of time to complete. She was pleased however, in having the correct hypothesis of it proving to be a mindless distraction. Jareth seemed to operate on a different level when he had a purpose in mind, one that wasn't devilish and focused solely on her. He was casual, informative, and more importantly, un-intimidating. She appreciated this side of Jareth. The more distinguishable the different extremes of his personality were, the easier it would be for her to channel the more pleasant ones.

She had no idea what time it was, but guessed it was well past midday and possibly even in the early stages of evening. She'd been keeping a hand over her stomach for quite some time now, not wanting to bring up the fact that she was manufactured with an athlete's stomach and needed more than bread and jam to operate throughout the day. Speaking of athletic, it'd been a while since she last had any sort of work out... She'd have to do something about that soon. She glanced down to the floor, a bit lost in her hunger haze.

"Would you like one?"

"What?" Sarah asked, darting her head up with a bit of a deer-in-the-headlights expression.

"An ...indoor pool. Would you like one?" He asked, again. Sarah blinked and rose her brow.

"Uhh..." He smirked at her struggle, and briefly wondered what she was thinking about that had put her so off balance. He took a few steps down the hall, and opened a door that wasn't there before. He turned, and ushered her to follow.

She drew her brow tight as she rounded the corner of the door frame, and then let it rise to considerable heights with what met her.

The room was vast and open. The three walls facing her were lined with magnificent floor to ceiling windows, the same as in the library. The light from which lit up the pale stone of the castle to a warm gold that seemed to vibrate through the air. She took a step further, and lowered her gaze to the floor, and saw there was a huge, beyond huge, in-lain pool taking up most of the room. Her mouth hung open a bit. How-h-what?

"How did you-" She started to say, but cut herself off as she turned to face him.

"Do you like?" He asked, sounding neither hopeful nor indifferent, but there was a familiar spark in his eye that gave tell as to the former. She drew her brow again and looked over the room once more.

"How is it possible for these windows to be here? The way they are? How are they supporting the rest of the castle? And how is this room jutting out? Isn't this hall located in the center of the castle?" She asked, confused as to how physics and architecture played into all this.

"You're over-thinking this." He commented, not bothering to explain for perhaps the hundredth time that physics meant just as much as time did in the Underground. She didn't verbally respond, but nodded as if she understood.

"And you made this, just now, just like that?" She asked. Jareth's eyes seemed to sharpen, but she wasn't sure why.

"You didn't answer my question." His voice was a little lower, more commanding. She almost frowned at him, but then realized what his problem was.

"Yes. I like it. I like the windows. It makes everything feel...not so trapped." She said, being completely honest for once. Jareth's sharp demeanor didn't change, but his aura softened.

"Good. I want to give you the things you desire. And I want you to desire the things I give you." He said, short and crisp. She wanted to roll her eyes at him. Was he really mad that she hadn't jumped up and down in excitement over this, and groveled at his feet in thanks? Well, maybe she could have shown just a little more gratitude. He had done this just for her, after all. He was -trying. Eh...there was that word again. The last time she thought he was trying was when they'd eaten pizza on the floor next to the fireplace -_and look how that turned out... _ She reminded herself. She almost drifted off as her eyes took in the fading landscape of the Underground sunset. Judging from the hue of the sky, it had to be almost six o'clock. She turned back to peer at him from over her shoulder, realizing he was waiting for something.

"Yes well...I suppose I'll have to ask you for a bathing suit now?" She asked, with just a hint of snark to lighten the atmosphere. The crack of his sneer marked the return of his pleasant and docile mood.

"I hadn't thought of that." He answered, speaking more to himself than to her. That small realization brought about many, many wonderfully delicious possibilities, of which he felt himself becoming distracted with and fought to push to the back of his mind for the time being; though he failed to hide his smile.

As Sarah waited for him to finish his thought, her eyes caught on a blur as something flashed by the open door. She narrowed her eyes for a moment, causing Jareth, who had been focusing on Sarah, to turn back towards the door with equal curiosity. Suddenly, the flash was back, but this time it sped to a stop in the doorway and became the image of yet another terrified looking Goblin. Its chest heaved in apparent exhaustion as its beady little eyes darted feverishly around the room until finding their mark on Jareth. It then bounded into the room, and lowered into a bow before resuming its steady, panicky bounce.

"Excuse me, Majesty." It tried not to shout.

"What?" Jareth commanded. There was a sharp irritation in his voice that Sarah recognized instantly, and had her wondering if it were a true emotion or just a part of the act.

"Sire, Master Roldan has returned and is asking to see you, most haste." It exclaimed. Sarah's eyes narrowed on the creature, and then turned up to Jareth, who was giving it an even more intense scowl. His expression worried her for some reason, and made the situation feel all the more awkward.

"What? For what reason?" Jareth asked. His voice was significantly louder now. She recognized this as well, and understood that he was actually angry now. The Goblin cowered, as if privy to some deep dark secret that once revealed would lead to its imminent demise. _Did something happen?_

"He didn't say, Sire. But he was -very urgent in having council with you." It stammered. Sarah spied on Jareth's darkening state out of her peripheral, and couldn't help but feel her own worry solidify. _Jareth had said Roldan was taking care of some things up north...based on Jareth's reaction, Roldan wasn't supposed to be back so soon. Is something wrong?_ She wondered.

"Well, where is he?" Jareth snapped.

"Awaiting you in the library, Sire." It answered. Jareth groaned, and huffed through his nose.

"Very well, off with you." He said, and shooed the poor creature away. He sighed at the floor, fighting off his scowl before looking up to Sarah, who stood stiff and rigid like an awkward third wheel teetering off to the side. He took a step or two, closing the small gap between them.

"It seems I have a situation to deal with."

"Um, ok? Is everything alright?" She asked, uncertain of what her reaction to this should be.

"I'm sure it's nothing. I'll come find you when I'm finished." He said. Sarah looked away, awkwardly. In any normal relationship, this would be the part where you casually consoled one another and kissed each other good bye by saying, 'See you later, dear, hope everything's alright'.

"I trust you'll be able to entertain yourself until then?" He asked.

"Uh, yea. I'm sure I can find something to do."

"Until then." He said, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

* * *

Sarah gave an awkward sigh as she stood, now alone, in the vast, newly-installed pool room, and raised an arm to scratch the back of her head as she tried to decide what to do with herself. She wandered over towards the window railing and glanced over the fading landscape of the Underground. She could see a corner of the Labyrinth from where she was, and from that, figured the room must be located to the far left of the castle. She shook her head with bewilderment. Apparently, physics, along with time, meant nothing here.

She stood there, for no more than a minute or two, before growing insanely antsy. She sighed again, with irritation, and leaned against the window pier. She hated this, this feeling of displacement, and hated that she only felt this way when Jareth left her. Why? Why, why, why? Why was it that when she wasn't with Jareth, she felt stir crazy and lonely, when she was being ignored by him she felt hurt and attention hungry, and yet when she was actually with him -garnering all of his focus- she wanted nothing to do with him? It made zero sense to her, and she hated it. She hated feeling this way, feeling so confused and yet -not confused in the slightest. Something was going on. She could feel it, looming around in the background. She looked down towards the railing and sighed a third time, and sagged a little into the pier. _I wonder where Liana is... _ She wondered.

Considering all the questions and suspicions Sarah had about that woman, she longed for her company almost desperately. While she didn't know if she could fully trust her, Liana hadn't done anything harmful to her. And while their talks were brief and often general, she was turning out to be the only confidant Sarah had- the only means of an outlet from Jareth. Liana's words, her very presence, soothed her, gave her some perspective on things. She frowned at the pale yellow stone of the railing. She could really use a pep-talk right now.

She turned around, planning on stalking her way back to the solitude of her room, when she was rudely halted in her tracks by a mass of bulky leather and fur.

She shrieked and, in her effort to back peddle, ended up toppling forward face first into what she -in that brief half second- recognized as a man. A man that wasn't Jareth. Her eyes grew wide as they filled to the brim with panic and the first signs of fight or flight. She rose her hands to brace herself, placing them firmly against the mysteriously clad stranger's chest. Strong hands rose to capture her by the shoulders, saving her from her inevitable plummet to the floor.

"Jesus Christ!" She exclaimed, and immediately tried jumping away from him. She didn't have time to get a good look at him, but she knew just from his state of dress that it definitely wasn't Jareth. Jareth, had worn his usual, loose-fitting gear, while this figure was broad and dense with layers and layers of fabric. She didn't know there were other humanoids in the castle. Jareth hadn't said anything...was this man supposed to be there?

"Pardon me!" A startled voice replied, with seemingly equal amounts of panic.

For reasons Sarah couldn't explain, she kept her eyes to the floor, too surprised to raise them and face the stranger. He kept his hands around her arms, ensuring she maintained balance as he took half a step back, giving them both some space. Her eyes darted up at the sound of his voice, however. He sounded...familiar.

Sarah's gaze widen again, but for reasons other than panic. At first, she wasn't sure if she was seeing him correctly, and actually blinked repeatedly in an effort to refocus her vision.

The first thing she noticed, with eerie familiarity, were his eyes- eyes that were both bright and pale all at once. They were a glimmering hazel, the blue in which broke through the pale brown and splintered from his pupils like a brilliant sun burst. They were sharp and calculating, but had an odd sense of warmth that she couldn't quite place. He was staring at her, but it seemed he was somehow looking straight through her. She knew those eyes, that intensity. They looked just like Jareth's. Her plane of view widened to capture the rest of his face -pale, healthy skin that glowed with the reflected light of the pool, light, elegantly slashed eyebrows and a sharp nose. His face was long and soft, like an early sculpture that was just starting to hint at the chiseled masterpiece that lay just beneath its surface. He looked young, very young, no more than early twenties she would guess, without a trace or scratch of time on him. His hair was remarkably pale, so blonde it looked white in a certain light, and it was short and messy, falling leisurely about the frame of his face.

In the two-tenths of a second it took her to take all this in, she felt the air being viciously pulled from her lungs. This man, looked...he looked...

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you." He said, and cracked a sly smile that further defined his elegant features. There was a crease in his eye, one that grew with his smile as it slowly stretched from ear to ear, and then strained as he tried to keep it sincere. If she didn't know any better, she would have said he was feeling just as awkward as she was.

She didn't say anything, and reflexively glanced down to one of the hands he still held around her arms. His brow shot up, and he had the decency to look almost embarrassed as he released his hold on her and took yet another reluctant, awkward step back. Her eyes narrowed as she observed his gesture. He looked...so...boyish, so...awkward and -innocent? Could those adjectives be used as appropriate descriptions for this man? She continued to gape at him, fighting off the fact that he looked almost identical to a young version of Jareth.

He wobbled on his heel, and continued to stare at her as he awaited some kind of response.

There was a small paradox of explosions going off in Sarah's mind. This man, this totally random stranger, someone who looked eerily identical to Jareth, at the same time looked...absolutely nothing like him. The way he stood, the look in his eye, everything. Everything was different. It was like she was seeing two completely different people at the same time. Who was this man? What was he doing here? Why had he snuck up on her like that?

She shook her head, and tried not to meet him in the eye.

"Um, that's ok. I...just wasn't expecting someone to be standing right behind me." She said, while warily glancing about the room, and side stepping stealthily towards the door.

"Yes...I apologize again. I saw you standing there, haloed by the sunset, and I...just got a bit lost, I suppose." He said, uncertainly and darted his eyes off to the side as he shrugged in his own shame. Sarah's eyes remained wide while her brow drew tighter and tighter. His voice was raspier than Jareth's, and wasn't quite the baritone she'd come to know and quiver under. This man...how could someone look so much like Jareth and yet...and yet act like -that- all knees and elbows kind of thing. She was still having a hard time grasping the fact that this wasn't Jareth, and was therefore assuming he would hold the same mannerisms as he. Jareth, if nothing else, was always poised and confident. The man standing before her however, looked as though he may be even more lost than she. He may have similar bone structure to He Who Thrives On Angst And Torment, but, as it was panning up to be, this man was nothing of the sort. He seemed to be...just a normal, young fellow. Could that be possible?

"Oh..." Was all she could really muster. She was in too much of a twilight zone to actually think at the moment. His brow rose further, misunderstanding her recoil.

"Oh, I hope I haven't offended you, that was not my intention at all." He said, and sounded so upset at that. She frowned, and shook her head again as she forced herself to get over his ghostly appearance.

"No. No. You didn't offend me, it's just -you...you look..." She stuttered and stumbled, not able to get the words out. Who was this man? Why the hell was he here all of the sudden? Was he safe? Where the hell was Jareth? "I...I'm sorry. I'm stammering." She said, and rose a hand to her temple and winced with her own frustrations. She wasn't paying attention when he took a step forward.

"Forgive me, but, did you want to be alone? If I was intruding on you, I apologize-" She opened her eyes to find him standing directly before her.

"No, no, please, stop apologizing. I just assumed you were Jareth..." She didn't know why, but his face lit up immensely at that, and his smile broadened anew.

Sarah found herself staring again. While everything else about him may have reminded her of Jareth, his smile was all his own. It was bright and -warm. There was no trace of a sneer or scheme laced between his teeth or hiding under his tongue. It was wholesome and genuine, something she'd only gotten a quick glimpse of maybe once or twice during the entire time she'd known Jareth. He had a very boy-next-door feel that made her want to giggle, for one because of the irony his appearance played against his demeanor, and two because in his own way, his awkward reluctance was actually very charming.

"You were expecting Jareth? Ah, you must be Sarah then." He said, with some kind of satisfaction. Sarah noticed a shift go through him then, as he seemed to gain some sense of composure along with his statement. He stood taller now, more firmly, and the flighty look in his eye vanished. It was a subtle shift, but one she picked up on immediately.

"How do you know my name? ...You're not -Roldan, are you?" She winced as she uttered Roldan's name. She wasn't sure why she asked that question, but she didn't know any other Fae, and Roldan was the only one Jareth had mentioned to her by name. The man's smile curled on one end, clearly amused now, and laughed just to confirm it. He drew a piece of paper out from his pocket and held it up in the air like a token of victory.

"It's on the invitation." He answered. Sarah cocked her head slightly as she tried to piece it together. _Invitation? Oh! The wedding! _ "And no, I am not dear Roldan, but I am sure he will appreciate the compliment much less than I do." He added. There was a certain kind of rumble to his voice, leaving her unsure of how to take his joke. This new tone of his however, she did recognize. She took another precautionary step back, knowing full well that first appearances could be deceiving, and that some things were not as they seemed. For all she knew, this cheeky, boy-next-door could really be some kind of horrible murderous monster. Hmm, now who did that remind her of?

He seemed to sense her suspicion, and took the time to reach out for her hand, distracting her from making any solid notions.

"Pardon my rudeness, I seem to have lost my manners along with your balance. My name is Davion." He said, with a curl of the lips and a kiss on the hand.

* * *

Jareth stormed his way to the library, irritated beyond all recognition. He had no idea why Roldan had returned, or what could be so important that it demanded his immediate attention without a proper introduction. He'd sent Roldan to take quota on the Northern Kingdom some time ago, a rather mundane routine that rarely encountered any complications, and certainly nothing this dramatic. He'd been gone little over a week, just a few days before Sarah's arrival in fact, and wasn't due back for another week or so. His return was very unexpected indeed, and therefore, most troublesome. But, aside from the political worries, Jareth was mostly irritated because he had been crudely interrupted during his time with Sarah. They'd been having a rather peaceful day, and during such he'd hoped to further worm his way into her better frame of mind. If she could stop seeing him as cruel and manipulative, maybe they could actually start to make some progress with one another. He'd thought they were on the brink of something just then. He'd done something generous and selfless, and he thought she may have actually appreciated it. He wasn't lying when he'd said he wanted to give her all that she'd desired. He wanted to give her the world, if she would only let him. He was hoping that, somehow, possibly through that very interaction, she might start to understand that as well. She was making everything so difficult when it could all be so easy... He shook his head as he flew open the door to the library. _Ugh, this better be good..._

He didn't need to look up to know where Roldan would be standing, and instinctively b-lined it to the back of the library, near the line of windows.

"Care to explain why you have returned a week ahead of schedule?" Jareth snapped. Roldan, who had been pacing anxiously along the wall of windows, stopped and turned to face him. Worry lain thick on his face.

"Something has happened of great urgency, Majesty." He bit out. Jareth stopped and stood tall, trying his best not to seem pointlessly agitated. He failed.

"Is there a problem up north?" He asked. One of Roldan's sharply cut eyebrows rose, just slightly.

"No.."

"Then what is so urgent I had to be summoned here without explanation?" Jareth snapped again. This time, Roldan's eyes began to narrow, apparently surprised and offended by Jareth's brashness.

"Your marriage." He snapped, as if having caught Jareth red handed in the midst of some adolescent gimmick.

Jareth paused, just long enough to look caught off guard. He hadn't quite been expecting that. After all, he hadn't yet informed Roldan of Sarah's arrival.

"What?" He asked. Roldan's narrowed eyes turned into a scowl as his anxiety gave way briefly to his own suppressed irritation. He glared blatantly at Jareth, calling him out on his bullshit.

"We received notification of your engagement early this morning. I can't tell you how surprised we all were -your brother, especially." He said, and took a step towards Jareth. "I've been gone one week, one week during which you've managed to court and secure a bride? Why have I no knowledge of this?" There was minor astonishment in his voice, and he shook his head with an awed expression, as if taking Jareth's secret indiscretion personally.

"Not all of my affairs are your business. Your point?" Jareth answered, and crossed his arms as he leaned back against a desk.

"Just how bizarre and... surprising this all is. May I ask who the lucky girl is? I say, I certainly don't recognize her name. Sarah -Williams? What kind of name is that?" His tone was slowly turning sarcastic, something Jareth didn't much care for, but dealt with all the same. He should have been anticipating this when he sent out the invitations last night. He cursed himself under his breath. Once again, Sarah was distracting him in ways that she shouldn't be.

"That is because she is mortal." Jareth answered. Roldan's brow rose.

"Mortal? Well, she must really be something if your courtship lasted all but one week." He said, astonished. His reaction actually made Jareth crack a smirk. If he only knew. Hmm...maybe he should have warned Roldan about all of this before hand.

"Sarah and I have been intertwined with one another for many years." He corrected, which was just vaguely true. Roldan eased his stance to lean against a window.

"If your courtship has been going on for years, why am I hearing of it now? As your advisor it is my job to tell you when you've gone mad." Jareth's smile grew, just a bit. He hadn't thought Roldan would take this so personally. It was as amusing as it was surprising.

"I can assure you, I have my head firmly about me in this." The tension in Jareth's voice was nearly gone now, replaced with a small sense of ease and delight, relieved that _that_ was what all Roldan's fuss was about. Though, he still couldn't believe he would abandon his post so abruptly over an invitation.

Roldan's scowl didn't ease, so Jareth moved on. There was a time to have this discussion in detail, but it wasn't now. "Am I to assume that is the reason you have dashed all the way back here? To lecture me on my impulsive engagement? Or did you feel the overwhelming urge to congratulate me?" He asked, rather sarcastically, but shifted demeanor once Roldan's stance reaffirmed itself.

"No. I ran all the way down here in hopes of warning you."

"Warn me of what?" Jareth asked. Roldan stepped from the window and began to pace.

"You're not the only one who was caught off guard by that invitation, Jareth. I don't think I've ever seen Davion so excited- the way his face lit up when I told him I had no knowledge of this-"

"Spit it out." Jareth interjected, bored with his ambiguity.

"Your brother is on his way to _congratulate_ you. I thought I might try and beat him to it in hopes of giving you -and your new bride- a minor forewarning."

* * *

"Davion?" Sarah asked, as she slowly pulled her hand away from his. He was bent towards her, and slowly stood, a creeping sneer following him. "Wait...you mean...Jareth's brother?" She asked, and a small light bulb went off in her head. She remembered reading that Jareth had a brother in his lineage book a few days ago. Of course. It all made sense now- their strange likeness and all. But it didn't lessen her twilight episode any. Now that she knew why Davion looked the way he did...his persona only became more surreal.

"Hm, I'm surprised Jareth's mentioned me." He said, with the most humble of smiles, and stood back a bit. He had that bashful look on his face again, the one that struck Sarah so.

"Oh, no. He didn't. I read about you. In a book." She said, and shook her head after hearing how shaky her voice was. Was she seriously nervous right now? It was hard believing Jareth even had family, let alone meeting a member face to face. Having a family, a brother, meant he had parents, who had parents, and children, and nieces and nephews. It made him seem like less of an entity and more human (oid). And while she knew deep down that that was a good thing, she wasn't quite ready to face it yet.

"Really? Something flattering, I hope?" He asked. She blinked away thoughts of Jareth in a flash, and gave a smile to match his own.

The space he put between them allowed her to casually glance over the rest of him. While he was hunched over, she saw that his hair wasn't as short as she thought it was, but in fact quite long. Very long, actually. It was pulled back in a strange kind of braid that stretched to almost the base of his back. It looked odd paired with the rest of him, and made her wonder what it looked like let loose, but she pushed the thought aside. He wore layers of black leather and a deep blue tunic. Draped over his shoulders was a heavy cloak with grey fur along the collar. He looked...very warm. It was almost uncomfortable looking at him, knowing it was at least 75 out today. She thought about asking for his coat.

"Just a family tree." She replied. "Say, um...you must be looking for Jareth, I'm pretty sure he went to the library...there was some sort of emergency or something..." Her voice trailed off and she lowered her gaze to the floor." I could go...get him for you? Or...tell him you're here? Or something..." She continued, feeling extremely awkward and unsure of what the proper course of action would be. She was now considered Hostess, right? Was she supposed to fetch Jareth? Or...urrggg. If she couldn't handle these _basics_ as a spouse, how was she supposed to help rule a kingdom? Wasn't Jareth supposed to teach her these things? She couldn't believe it, but in that very brief moment, she was actually looking forward to this otherwise dreaded _etiquette_; whatever that meant.

"No, thank you. That will not be necessary. After all, I didn't come here to see my brother. I came here to see you." He answered. Her eyes jumped up to his at that. And she found that he was smiling wryly at her. It was an expression that aged him, and added a certain darkness to his otherwise angelic image. She didn't like it. It reminded her too much of his older brother.

"Excuse me?" She asked, feeling like she was now standing in the middle of a bulls eye. She wasn't ready for this. He registered her hesitation, and blinked innocently at her, rolling his eyes down to the paper he held in his hand.

"I received an invitation to my brother's wedding late last night...Now, imagine how curious this was to me, being the younger brother, with no previous knowledge that my dearest and only older brother was even courting to begin with?" He asked, with a quirk of the brow. "So, naturally, I thought it best to investigate, offer my congratulations personally and immediately. And of course be the first to meet my darling new sister." He added, and tucked the letter back into his pocket. Sarah's brow unconsciously narrowed as she took in his words. Based on the sole fact that he looked ungodly akin to his brother, Sarah held an instant suspicion of his every word. But, there was something about him, something uniquely him that told Sarah he was nothing like Jareth. He seemed...honest, sincere maybe. She was unaware that she'd missed the opportunity to respond, so he continued.

"Would you care to sit with me?" He asked. Sarah looked around confusedly, there wasn't any furniture in the room. He smiled and with a wave of his hand two chairs suddenly appeared by the windowsill. "I feel standing is becoming a bit awkward." He added, and ushered her to take a seat. She tried not to tiptoe passed him as she took the nearest chair. He smiled down at her as she moved past, his eyes roaming languidly over her, taking in her bizarre appearance, and joined her as soon as she was situated.

A small alarm was going off somewhere in the back of her mind, telling her it would be best to find Jareth; but she ignored it, and tried not to fidget in her chair.

"Let me start this conversation by saying that Jareth will be crashing our party within the next few minutes. So, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to be rather blunt with you." His tone took on a surprising business-like quality, but his expression remained the pinnacle of cheer. He gave her a reassuring smirk and tilted his head to one side.

"Um, alright." She answered, and sat up in her seat.

"Wonderful. First, I would like to tell you that you are an extremely beautiful woman and I can see why my brother has chosen to keep you all to himself."

Sarah gaped a bit. _Ok, so I guess he meant it when he said he was going to be blunt..._ She felt her cheeks flush involuntarily, and she darted her eyes away to compose herself. She was always a sucker for fluffy compliments.

"Thank you..." She replied, and bashfully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Second, I am hurt that my brother has kept you such a secret from me -from everyone it would seem. Marriage is a grand step, especially for one in a position such as he. May I ask how long you and my brother have been engaged in one another?" He asked. Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her chair. His question was acceptable, one that he should have a right to ask. But...

"Um...technically? About a week." She answered, and winced as if the words tasted something foul on her tongue. Davion's brow shot up, rightfully astonished.

"Well then, you must really have him tight at the nape. It is not an easy feat to wrangle my brother into commitment." He said. This time, it was Sarah's brow that shot up, and was quickly followed by a small, unstoppable burst of laughter. Davion's face lit up with her reaction, it was intriguing, and simply delightful.

"Oh dear, I can't begin to tell you how wrong you are." She said, and brought a hand to her chest as she tried to wrangle in her laughter. Davion leaned in, resting his arm on the railing of the window.

"Yes, he can be quite difficult, can't he? Though seeing the radiance of your smile, I wouldn't doubt that to be the case." Sarah's blush just wouldn't quit.

"Thank you, but... I think you're exaggerating things a bit"

"Not at all. Love is nothing but eccentric." He said. Sarah's face fell. Her and Jareth's relationship was based on a lot of things, but love was not one of them. She didn't quite know how to respond to him without giving something away. Clearly, Davion, as everyone would, assumed their engagement was consensual.

Davion watched Sarah's smile fade, which answered a niggling question that he was too gentlemen to ask, but was secretly inquiring to. Well, now things were getting interesting. Time to move the conversation along.

"I hope you don't take offense to this, but I can't help but notice that you're human." He said, distracting her from her loathing rather than love of Jareth. Sarah blinked, as if that statement was just the cold bucket of water she needed.

"Uhhm, yes." She answered, wondering if that fact held any sort of prejudicial impact for her, another worry she held in regards to becoming a member of Fae society.

"I'm just...curious. Given your time frame, how did you and my brother become an item? I've never before met or heard of you. It's very sudden, is all." He'd leaned back in his chair, his posture open and welcoming. She looked up to him, and the warmth in his face seemed to help put her at ease.

"I... ran the Labyrinth, a long time ago. That's when we met." Was all she said. She wasn't really all that comfortable discussing this with a total stranger, she also didn't know what sort of consequences her answers would have. Davion's brow twitched, and his lips curled ever so slightly. But Sarah failed to notice.

"Really? Why ever would you do that?" He asked, as if she were setting him up for a joke. She drew her brow on him, confused. _ Isn't that what Jareth does? ..._

"Umm...it's a long story." She answered, saving her confusion with Davion's obliviousness for later.

"Did you win?" He asked, suspenseful and intrigued. Sarah sat back in her seat, and started fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

"Yeah..." She murmured, and turned at the sound of him shifting in his seat. He was tapping his index finger against his lips, a very Jareth gesture, she noted. She also saw that his gaze was more intense, but on sensing Sarah's observation, he shifted again, reaching for the front of his jacket.

"Would you mind if I took my coat off? It's rather warm in these parts." He asked, in an effort to deter her from observing him too closely. It seemed to work, as her eyes widened a bit as she weighed a response. He grinned, picking up on all her bodily signs that he was affecting her in more ways than one.

"Oh, go ahead." She said, and looked away, but continued watching him out of the corner of her eye. He shrugged out of his cloak and coat, and draped them both over the back of his chair. She tried not to stare. He looked to be a little thicker than Jareth, but it was hard to tell. "Why are you so bundled up?" She asked.

"Jareth hasn't told you much, has he?" He asked, and waited a rhetorical pause before continuing. "I am Warden over the north. That is, I rule the upper half of my brother's kingdom in his stead." He explained, and shot her a quick smirk. "It's a bit chilly up there." Sarah pursed her lips, unable to stop herself as she gave in to fluttery lashes and flirty smiles with Jareth's younger brother.

"I see...wasn't Roldan visiting the north? Does that mean you know what the emergency is?" She asked. Davion laughed, a sound that reminded her nothing of Jareth.

"I am the emergency. Why do you think our conversation is so strained for time? I'm sure right now, Roldan is exclaiming my surprise visit to my dear brother, and in another moment or two, Jareth will be here to spoil our fun." His smile had the kind of mischievous curl that only appears when one knew they were doing something naughty.

"Why? Is there a reason why I shouldn't be talking to you?" She asked. Her voice perked up a bit with sudden anxiety, and the return of her original fears regarding this strange unknown man. But, regardless of how he answered her question, she knew it was too late. And also knew that her anxiety was only half-hearted.

"Quite simply, sweet Sarah, I am not to be trusted." He said, and she would have gone on alert just then if it wasn't for the wink he ended his sentence with. She rolled her eyes at him and smiled.

* * *

"Davion's coming? Why haven't I been notified before hand?" Jareth asked, his irritation sparking anew. Roldan glared and crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking Jareth's previous posture.

"So that he has a chance to meet your bride before you whisk her away under your cape, of course." He answered, sardonically. Jareth huffed. The last thing he needed right now was a surprise visit from his impish brother. No doubt he knew Roldan would leave to warn him. And no doubt he anticipated this moment as a distraction, leaving Sarah alone. He cast a dark scowl in Roldan's direction. He of all people should have seen this coming.

"When will he be arriving?" Jareth asked. Roldan rolled his eyes.

"By now, I'd say he's already here. I can only hope you've kept your woman well concealed." Jareth's expression tensed. There was a level of sarcasm he was willing to take from Roldan, but he was reaching that limit fast. There was something else bothering him, or else he would have made Jareth aware of Davion's arrival as soon as he himself arrived. He made a note to find out what, later.

"In that case, I suggest we greet our guest." Jareth muttered, and turned on a dime as he stalked towards the door. "Oh, and don't think I haven't kept check of your tone. We'll discuss this later."

* * *

Sarah brought a hand to cover her lips as she giggled liked a giddy school girl at Davion's wonderfully witty humor. She couldn't remember the last time she giggled like this. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like this, so caught up in nothing at all. She was well aware of her goo-goo eyes and flirtatious banter, but she really didn't care. Jareth was the one who forced a tie between them. He was the one who considered them to be in a relationship, not her. So, regardless of how adorable Davion's smile was, Sarah's hard-wired sense of spite would have ensured the course of this encounter just the same. With her limited capability to actively fight against Jareth, she decided to use the newfound weapon that was herself, against him. True, it wasn't the wisest idea to consciously try to make him jealous, and therefore angry, but she was determined to wriggle under his skin in any way she could.

"Before our time ends, may I just say that you are a delightful creature, Sarah. And, I look forward to your wedding. I sincerely hope that you smile for my brother just as you have done for me. It has been so long since-"

Sarah's attention turned along with Davion as he cut himself short and glanced off to the side. And she narrowed her eyes on the sly little sneer that crawled on the edge of his lips just before turning her gaze to see what exactly had drawn his attention.

"Ah, Jareth. We were expecting you." Davion said, leaning back comfortably in his chair. Sarah's back straightened and all her hairs stood to full attention as she glazed her eyes over Jareth. He was standing only a few feet away, dead center between her and Davion. She was a little surprised, having not heard him enter the room at all, and wondered just how long he had been there watching her. She felt rightfully exposed, while Davion smiled gallantly.

She examined Jareth's face furiously, trying to decode his emotion. Sadly, he was wearing his mask, the one he wore when trying to be serious and intimidating. She couldn't tell what his mood was. To her, he looked angry, suspicious, amused and at ease all at once. Her eyes darted between the two brothers, and it was only now that she was able to truly compare the two. It was strange, for sharing as many similarities as they did, standing side by side, the two brothers looked remarkably nothing like one another. Hm... Her eyes flickered up as they caught sight of the dark silhouette of a man standing behind Jareth; but she didn't have time to pay much attention to him.

"I wish I could say the same." Jareth answered, and just by the animal hiss of his voice, she could tell he was nothing less than irritated. Shit. She tensed her hands on the arms of her chair as if to stand.

"Yes. I must apologize for my sudden arrival, but how is one to react to such astounding news? It's been a long time since-" Jareth sneered, as if restraining a grimace and peered down at Sarah from the corner of his eye.

"You could have sent a letter." He interrupted. Sarah felt the tug of a frown on her brow, realizing that her decision to rile Jareth was made in ignorance of a few key points; like the standing relationship between Jareth and his brother for one. Was this all good fun? Or had she unwittingly re-sparked some kind of age-long animosity?

Sarah continued to grow more and more stiff. For some reason, she now felt like she was in serious trouble for being alone with Davion. Was there an actual reason for it? Or was Jareth just being domineering? She was so anxious all of the sudden. She couldn't tell if they were having a stand off or a conversation..

"Sarah." Jareth said, in an obvious command for her to stand and join him at his side. She recognized this immediately, clear as day, and yet...

"Yes?" She asked, the slight upturn of her voice feigning ignorance, and inducing a small essence of mockery. Jareth tried not to huff, and glared at her impatiently.

"Could you please stand so that I may properly introduce you?" He asked, fighting to keep his voice level, and urging her to utilize what little manners she had in this one instance and avoid him the perpetual embarrassment that he knew would result from this encounter. She didn't answer, but did as he asked and stood next to him, reluctantly, off to the side. Davion couldn't have looked more amused. "Davion, I'd like to formerly introduce you to my bride, Sarah. Sarah, this is my brother." Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. Already fed up with his stare-down tactic. Was there a reason he was so angry with her? Davion came to her after all.

"Thank you, Jareth. I'm glad that's out of the way." Sarah said, just a tad sarcastically. She was a little bugged with Jareth's agitation- agitation that was being directed at her through his irremovable glare. And while the real reason for her attitude was for the way he was staring at her and nothing else, it came off to those around as if she were being intruded upon. And that was something she had not intended to be conveyed. Jareth's lips twitched in a snarl as he stared down at her. He wanted nothing more than to scream at her for her behavior and haul her off into some dark and secluded place, but had to remind himself that she had yet to be told how to act. While there were things she thought she was putting on in a conscious attempt to rebel, she was unaware of just how serious this line of behavior could be taken if it continued. She rolled her eyes away from him.

She took half a step back, and used her new spot to give her a better vantage point to examine the man standing behind Jareth, and help distract her from her annoyance. He wasn't very tall, about a mid-point between her and Jareth, and he was rather stocky. Or thicker at least, as compared to the other two men who were both tall, lean and languid. He had a blocky face with precision cut lines. She wouldn't say he had wrinkles, as he wasn't old enough for that, but there were defined age lines that made him look worse for wear. He had very dark hair that fell in heavy curls at his shoulder, half of which was pulled back in a pony tale. She couldn't see more than a blurry profile, but he looked as though he were scowling. And for some reason, she couldn't help but think it was because of her as well. _Hmm...that must be Roldan then.. _ She brought her attentions back to Jareth.

"She certainly has spirit, doesn't she?" Davion asked.

"Yes, one might argue too much spirit." Jareth spat, and thrust his arm around her waist and jerked her to his side. Her initial reaction was to push away from him, but she refrained and stood awkwardly instead. Davion's smile grew with unknown knowledge, and he stood from his seat.

"Nonsense. It's all about having an appropriate outlet. She'll keep you on your toes, keep things exciting." He said, and stepped past the two, evidently towards Roldan. "Hmm, funny meeting you here. You know, she thought I was you." He said and leaned forward, mockingly as he did so. Roldan remained quiet, but glared more intently. Sarah noticed a new kind of sneer on Davion's face. It was sharper...

"Yes, speaking of which, is there a reason you failed to announce your visit?" Jareth asked. His fingers were steadily tightening on Sarah's hip, communicating to her that he was indeed _not _pleased (mission accomplished). She tried not to snarl, and instead glared off to the side.

"Ah, but my visit was announced, was it not? Roldan?" He asked, raising his brow toward the stoic and brooding Fae. Was there a reason why he wasn't talking? She wondered. Davion's gaze roamed back to Jareth's, and he rolled his head exasperatedly at the scowl he was met with.

"Oh, come brother. Why so hostile? I merely came to offer my blessing. You've found yourself a beautiful young woman, strong and passionate." He said, and threw a glance at Sarah, who gaped hopelessly up at the two. Jareth's gaze followed, and she was totally subdued by the warmth of Davion's stare as it compared to the icy chillness of Jareth's. But, like always, seeing him scowl down at her was the agent that helped her plant her feet firmly on the ground. She pursed her lips, and tried not to glare back up at him, and casually wormed her way out from his hold. Not surprisingly, Jareth refused to go.

"That she is." Jareth responded, keeping his eyes blatantly locked with Sarah's. She stared at him a little harder. Had Jareth ever told her she was beautiful before?

She continued to fight, and with one final jerk, he released her, not wanting to cause a scene. Davion continued to roll his eyes, firmly understanding the inner meaning to Jareth's briskness.

"If you really must know, I failed to announce my arrival because I was hoping to get a chance to actually talk to this mystery woman, without you breathing down her neck and working her like a puppet. You've kept her hidden away for so long, I bet you want nothing more than to lock her up in a tower right now."

Sarah brought a hand to her lips in an effort to stifle her giggle. She'd never heard someone talk that way to Jareth before, well someone besides her. And the whole tower reference was something like an inside joke to her. She stole a peek up at Jareth, wondering if he had caught on as well.

Jareth's glare on her intensified, but he tried to look unaffected. Meanwhile, Davion's face, which was purposefully kept in line with Jareth's, cracked in a small smirk in reaction to Sarah's giggle. There was obviously an interesting dynamic going on between the two. And it wouldn't be right if Davion left it unexploited.

"The thought had crossed my mind." Jareth said, and rose an eyebrow in Sarah's direction. Sarah scowled and took another step away from him. She examined the stern profile of Jareth's face, his creased brow, and tensed jaw. It was obvious Jareth wanted this situation to end, probably so he could vent and take it all out on her once they were alone. She looked back to Davion, and got an idea.

"Davion was telling me a little about the north." She piped up. All three gentlemen turned to look at her then. And their sudden attention made her hesitant to continue, but she mustered the backbone just in time.

"Is that so?" Jareth asked. Sarah nodded.

"Yes. He told me a little bit about his position, and it got me to thinking of all the things you haven't told me-" She felt the dagger that shot from Jareth's stare with that comment, and it only made her stand taller. "I was wondering if perhaps we could continue our conversation over dinner, Davion?" She turned her eyes away from Jareth as she asked that question, not ready to handle the inferno of a stare she knew would be waiting for her.

Davion's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and his mouth actually gaped open as a smile spread far and wide across his face, though she didn't quite understand what was so astonishing about her comment. She heard Roldan shift again, and glanced back to find him glaring at her just as intently as she imagined Jareth was. She crinkled her nose at him. It was enough dealing with Jareth's condescendence, she didn't need it from his lackey too.

"Sarah, I don't think-"

"I would love to." Davion suddenly exclaimed. Sarah's face brightened, reveling in the victory that she had successfully prolonged her eventual scolding from Jareth, and got to further experience the rather entertaining scene playing between him and his brother. It was amusing to see someone other than her getting under his skin; especially after the episode he put her through that morning. Dinner would be her form of payback.

"Davion, you've fled your duties without any preparation. I don't think it would be wise leaving your post unattended any longer than need be. I _insist_ on you returning at once." The way Jareth enunciated his sentence let everyone in the room know that he was playing the King card. There was a pause, before Davion's ears twitched, and he flashed a smirk of defeat, casting his gaze down at Sarah. There was no use in bothering to argue once Jareth settled on a command. He knew that much. Oh well, mission still accomplished.

"Well, it seems I have more important things to do. My apologies, Sarah. It's been a pleasure speaking with you." He said, gently kissed the top of her hand with a most bittersweet, puppy dog expression. Sarah felt herself almost whimper at the display. Though it was obvious he was doing it on purpose, it affected her all the same. She drew her hand away reluctantly, and looked down to the floor, acknowledging her own defeat. Jareth watched her, hounding himself not to give in. Sarah was not ready for interaction with other Fae, and should have been properly warned before being swooned by his brother. The fact of which he saw had already happened, and made him all the more eager to send his brother home.

"I'm sorry. Maybe some other time." She said, not sure what else to say. Davion stood and smiled.

"Please don't frown for me. You should never frown for anyone. I'll be looking forward to seeing you at the celebration." He said, and stepped back to look up at Jareth. "I'll be waiting in the library." He said, and was gone.

Sarah furrowed her brow, her mind still hanging on Davion's last words. _ Wait...so he's not leaving? What?_ _What celebration? _ She pursed her lips and looked up to Jareth for an answer, and was_ almost_ surprised to find him already staring her down. Except now, the mask was gone, the stone wall that once shaded his eyes was replaced with a myriad of undistinguishable emotions. Was he angry? Relieved? Something? Anything? She couldn't tell. She went to take a step back, when his arm suddenly sprang forward and captured her bicep.

She jumped in surprise, but relaxed when she realized his hold wasn't painful. His eyes narrowed on hers, trying to fathom her emotions the same way she was trying to fathom his. For a moment, it looked like he was on the brink of something, something bad that she recognized all too well. But he stopped himself just in time, and sighed.

"I'll deal with you later." He rumbled, and after nodding to Roldan, quickly stormed away.

* * *

Davion stood, with his back to the door as he awaited the immanent creak of its hinges, announcing Jareth's arrival. No doubt, it would only be another moment or two. He peered out the stretch of windows. Twilight would soon be approaching. He tapped an impatient finger against the top of a desk as he thought over his encounter with Sarah.

True, he was a little disappointed Jareth had dismissed him so quickly; but, he saw it as a victory. They had much to talk about, Jareth and he. _Sarah Williams... _ _Oh brother, you've certainly been up to something naughty._ He paused his tapping at the sound of the door opening, and glanced back over his shoulder at the sound of Jareth's echoing footsteps, (right on schedule) waiting until he was near before turning around to face him.

"Tell me brother, is there a reason why you haven't killed her yet?"

* * *

**A/N - onward to part 2**


	10. Hope And Its Other Like-Forms (Part 2)

Chapter 9, Hope And Its Other Like-Forms : Continued.

* * *

Jareth left the room much too abruptly, leaving Sarah stranded and standing awkwardly next to yet another strange man; except this time, instead of being welcomed with cheery smiles, she was shunned by the cold distaste of his glare. Oh how that irked her. She turned to face Roldan, and used the small -momentarily- comfortable silence to better examine him.

His brow was thick and sharply chiseled, heightening the effect of his deep green eyes. His nose was long and sharp as a blade, and his lips were full and round, accenting high cheekbones and a square jaw. It was a much different set of features from that of Jareth and his brother. With that said, he was handsome, in a rugged sort of way. She didn't get to ponder his physical attributes much further however, as the way his mouth twisted in a scowl soon occupied all of her attention. She put on a smile and thrust out a hand to the grumpy looking Roldan.

"Well, since Jareth has failed to introduce us - I'm Sarah, it's a pleasure to meet you." She said, with that beaming little smile of hers, and waited for him to accept her shake.

The intensity in Roldan's stare turned from judgment to conviction, and he actually snarled his lip at her as he peered down from over the tip of his nose.

"Your manners are deplorable." He said.

-What? Sarah blinked dumbly as her hand slowly lowered back to her side. Um, ok. She still had a trace of her smile, which was quickly fading into a scowl. _ Excuse me, Asshole?!_

"Excuse me?" She asked, raising her brow in offended aghast. That was quite different from the anticipated _"My name is Roldan, it's a pleasure to meet you"_.

"And your state of dress is abhorring." He added. Sarah's caught-off-guard expression sharpened into something nasty then. _ Who the hell does this guy think he is?_ "You should be ashamed for the way you've conducted yourself just now." _Ohhhhh, fuck this guy. _She was not about to let herself be patronized by Jareth's steward. She ground her teeth as she tried to contain herself. Jareth had a knack for plucking at her nerves, but this guy was soon to snap them completely. Was there a reason he was being such a prick? What did she ever do to him?

"And who the Hell are you, exactly? How dare you speak to me so disrespectfully!" She exclaimed, fisting her hands and keeping them locked at her sides. Were servants allowed to talk to her like that? Roldan huffed through his nose and looked away.

"I find it hard to disrespect someone who warrants no respect to begin with." He said. Sarah's eyes were burning with the restraint of her freak out. This guy was supposed to be a servant! How could he speak to her like that? Who the fuck was he to talk about manners and respect and then speak to her so rudely!? Ughhh. Did he talk to Jareth this way? Highly unlikely.

"You have some audacity! You don't even know me! What the Hell is you're problem?! What did I ever do to you!?" She was grinding her foot into the floor at this point and fuming at the ears no doubt. Was Jareth just going to allow him to speak this way to her? What would happen if she told on him? Ugh, guess the butler didn't fall far from the king.

He turned back to face her, examining her face thoroughly before responding. His eyes narrowed, but it didn't come close to the crease in hers. She knew that if he uttered one more insult, she'd lose it. _Go on, I dare you. I effing dare you._

"My apologies Miss." He suddenly said, breaking through the storm of Sarah's frustration. Her expression twitched, but remained solid. "But it is my duty to point out facts that would otherwise be ignored. I can see that you are upset. It was not my intention to offend you." He said, surprisingly sincere, something which Sarah was unable to discern.

_Bullshit!_ Sarah's fire and brimstone glare refused to cease. She took his sincerity as blatant mockery, and refused to step down for even a moment. Seriously? Who did this Fuck think he was? She felt like stomping her foot and storming off to her room. If he were Jareth, she probably would have started clawing at him. At least Jareth was cheeky in his insults, this guy was just an ass._ Great, now I have two condescending, self-righteous, egotistical, ass-hats to deal with. Ugh!_ She muttered to herself, cursing every nasty word she could think of over and over in her head.

"You're something else. It's bad enough I have to deal with Jareth, I don't need this bullshit from you!"

Roldan rose his brow at her, taking in her display for all it was worth. How in the world could this creature be in line for the throne? How in the world could Jareth possibly put up with this? Let alone want to? What in the Underground was going on here? He couldn't understand it, and wanted nothing more than to deposit the girl so he could find and press Jareth on the issue. What had happened in the week he'd been gone? Jareth had a lot of explaining to do.

"Your language is disgusting." He responded with, causing Sarah to fume even more.

"Your blatant disrespect for your superiors is disgusting! Jareth allows you to speak this way?"

"He allows you to, apparently." He retorted. Sarah didn't know what to do. She was so ungodly angry. She didn't think she'd ever been this angry with someone who wasn't Jareth. She wanted to roar at him. As far as first impressions went, this sucked.

"Is there a reason why you're being such a dick?" She asked. Roldan took in a long breath, and it was just then that she realized how well he was retaining the true extent of his irritation.

"I'm just trying to understand the reason why you're here." He answered, with all kinds of prevalent undertone.

"I'm here because Jareth is an evil manipulate deviant. Glad to see I'm not the only one who finds a problem with this." She said, and crossed her arms over her chest like a two-year-old. The intensity in their stares started to dim a bit, as they seemed to acknowledge the root of their irritation with one another as one in the same -ultimately Jareth. It was more than clear that Roldan did not approve of Sarah being here. Maybe they could find some common ground in that, because Sarah didn't approve of her being their either.

"Yes, a lot has happened in the time I've been away. I suppose this goes to show just how helpful my oversight on him is." He said. Sarah's shoulder's eased just a bit, sensing the end of their confrontation. The tension in his voice was gone now as well. Her slightly clearer head got her to thinking, _Hm. Maybe he was just stating facts.. How could someone be so indignant and indifferent at the same time? Jareth isn't even that good at controlling himself._

"Apparently." Was all she answered with, still stuck on being coarse with him.

"Are you finished venting?" He asked. Sarah glared, his statement drawing immediate parallels to Jareth. She didn't say anything, but pursed her lips at him. "Good. Now, come." He said, and turned on his heel. Sarah stomped in her place. There was no way she was taking orders from this guy.

"Where exactly are we going?" She asked.

"I am to take you back to your room until His Majesty sees fit to release you."

"No."

Roldan paused in his step, and turned around, slowly.

"What?" There was something unbelievable in his voice, something that turned her one simple word, into the most sacred taboo. _No? Did she just say No?_ Sarah stood her ground. She was not about to let herself be dragged to time-out.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She stated, and watched the recalculation as it played out across Roldan's face. It was as if he didn't understand, and hadn't for a single moment expected, her response. He looked... put off.

"I am under express orders to escort you back to your chambers." He iterated.

"And what if I don't want to go back to my room?" Sarah countered, knowing very well that she'd had this same exact argument with Jareth just a few days ago. _ Well screw Jareth! Jareth isn't here! And if he expects me to be bossed around by this guy, then he's got another thing coming! _ Roldan continued to grow more and more agitated, as if he had no idea how to handle the situation. It was then that she realized that he probably wasn't used to people refusing him, or more importantly, Jareth. _Hummmph_.

"What you want is of no consequence. The King has ordered you to return to your room, and so you will."

"And at what point in time did he tell you that?" She asked. She waited for some retort, but he remained silent. "If Jareth wants me to go back to my room he could have very well asked me himself. I don't need his lackey pushing me around." She bit out. Roldan's shoulders tensed and he took a step towards her.

"And as Queen, I'm saying no."

"The King's word is absolute. And besides, you aren't Queen yet, girl." Sarah crinkled her nose at him.

"I'm still not going."

"You can come with me, or I can take you there. The choice is yours." He huffed. She had to give him props, Jareth would have thrown her to the ground by this point.

Sarah bit the inside of her cheek as she initiated a full on standoff with a supposed servant. Dealing with Jareth's orders was a given, but no one said anything about having to listen to his servants too. Wasn't she supposed to be Queen? Didn't that give her authority over this kind of stuff?

"Jareth considers me his Queen, and as Queen, don't I have authority over the help? If I say something, aren't you supposed to listen?" She asked, having never thought she would have played Jareth as a card for her defense. Normally, she wouldn't play the bitchy Queen card either, but she tried being friendly with him. No, he started this, and he was going to deal with it.

"I serve the King, not the Queen." He said and reached out to take hold of her arm, apparently tired, and ready to end this debate. Sarah jumped back and whipped her arm away from him.

"Don't you touch me!" She exclaimed. Roldan's hand held itself suspended in midair, and his fingers started to curl with frustration. He hadn't even touched her. What a wild little ingrate this woman was! What was Jareth thinking? How was it he allowed her to act this way? How was it he hadn't broken every bone in her body? He felt an almost overwhelming urge to discipline her himself, but as he examined the fire in her eyes, he realized fighting her would only end up in foul repercussions for himself. He lowered his hand and sighed.

"Let me put it this way. I am under orders to bring you back to your room. If I should fail to do this, it would be equal to saying I have defied His Majesty's orders. Which can lead to a great number of negative outcomes for myself. In other words, your actions create consequences for others, and I do not wish to be reprimanded over something so trivial. So please, would you just concede and come with me?" He asked, and let his brow sag with exasperation. He didn't understand what they were even fighting about. Sarah puffed up her chest and turned to step by him.

"Hm, perhaps there's hope for the both of you." She said, and stalked her way towards the door.

* * *

Jareth stopped dead in his tracks. Davion's question hit him with an unexpected flare of both panic and anger, causing him to falter in his step. His back was still to him however, and so he was able to brush off the indiscretion before his brother had the chance to get a good look at him.

"You certainly know how to start a conversation." Jareth answered and paced a little closer. Davion was smiling now, while Jareth was busy trying to glare at the floor.

"I thought I might skip all the pleasantries and simply get to the point of all this."

"What do you want, Davion?" Jareth asked.

"Well, initially, all I wanted was to meet your darling new bride. -And what a darling she is by the way, remind me later to ask you why you've dressed her as an adolescent boy- But now, I feel it's only right that I should know what exactly is going on between you two. After all, this is my kingdom as well." He responded. Jareth tried to remain indifferent to Davion's words, but both knew where this conversation was soon to end up. This was bad. He cursed himself under his breath, he should have never left her alone.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Jareth said, playing the fool. Davion rolled his eyes.

"Please, let's not play this game. She told me you had her run the Labyrinth." Jareth paused, and gripped the back of a nearby chair as he brought his gaze level with Davion's. He certainly wasn't wasting any time. And as their eyes met, Jareth realized he may be plunging a dagger into his brother's chest within the next few minutes.

"Did she now? It seems I have yet another reason why I must educate my _darling new bride_ on how to keep her mouth shut." He snarled. This was the very reason Sarah needed etiquette training. He couldn't care less about whether she knew her soup from her dessert spoon. What she needed to learn was that Fae communicated with more than just words, and that most verbal conversation was irrelevant to the _actual_ conversation. Little did Sarah know, her encounter with Davion was a lot more serious than she probably realized. Davion leaned back, resting his arms over his chest as he peered mischievously at his older brother.

"I wouldn't worry too much. Such knowledge would only register as peculiar to others." He said.

"And to you?"

"You're not the only heir to the Goblin Throne, Jareth. I suspected it when I realized she was mortal, and I knew what it meant the moment she said she'd won. Why didn't you tell me you were planning this?" He asked. Jareth's demeanor darkened along with the fading sky in the background. This was not a topic he should be discussing with anyone, let alone the one person who stood in the same exact position of gain as he.

"Do you really need to ask that question?" Jareth asked. Davion shrugged.

"I suppose not. It doesn't matter after all. What matters, is that that hellion you call a fiancé holds power over the Labyrinth. And instead of killing her, you're ...marrying her?"

"Cleverly deduced." Jareth said, mockingly and full of distaste. Davion sighed.

"I don't understand you, Jareth. You've obviously been planning this out quite extensively, or else it wouldn't have worked. And I've never known you to be the sharing type."

"And?" Jareth snapped. Davion glared at Jareth's interruption. He was being so rude today.

"And you haven't killed her. You've pushed pause on the grand finale, why?"

"Why are you so interested? I should have you executed for what little knowledge you have now. Why would I give you more?" Jareth warned. Davion would have taken heed of Jareth's threat, if it wasn't for the fact that he knew Jareth would never truly harm him. Discipline him for making a move on his fiancé? Maybe. But, nothing that wouldn't heal.

"Because I like causing trouble." Davion answered, with that sweet and cheeky smile of his.

"Yes...speaking of trouble. I know what you were trying to do with Sarah. She doesn't know the implications of her actions, so any satisfaction you may have gotten is irrelevant. I have enough to deal with having Liana worm her way about, I don't need your mischief adding to that fire."

"Oh, come now. I think she was rather taken with me...and who is Liana?" Davion asked.

"Oh, that's what the Labyrinth is calling itself now." Jareth informed.

"I see..." Davion was about to let his curiosity distract him, but deterred himself when he realized Jareth was purposefully trying to mislead him. "But, before we go on a tangent, perhaps you would be so kind as to answer my original question?" He asked.

"It'd be pointless to go through the trouble of marrying someone whom I intended to kill, now wouldn't it?" Jareth asked, rhetorically. Davion started tapping a contemplative finger against his lips, lips that were slowly curling into a delicious sneer of victory.

"Yes, that would be rather pointless..." His voice trailed off as he gathered his thoughts. "So, you're marrying a human, a rash and emotional teenager at that, who happens to have the one thing that's been plaguing your rulership since your crowning? You're going through all this effort to conform her, embarrassing yourself shamelessly along the way. You set all this up, knowingly put yourself in this position, and yet you won't do the easy thing and take it-"

"There is more than one way to secure the hold from her." Jareth interjected. Davion quirked an eyebrow.

"Ah, hence the reason you've kept her so ignorant then? The less she know? -A course of action that should be reevaluated, I might add- You think you can maneuver her into giving it to you? Well, you were always one for a good challenge." He said, observing all the uncomfortable shifting around Jareth was trying to hide. "But...I don't think that's really it, is it?" He asked. Jareth looked up then, anticipating his next comment. "Oh, Jareth. You're putting yourself through so much trouble. You wouldn't happen to somehow love this girl, would you? Now that would be foolish." He asked, and cracked a small laugh along with it. Jareth copied his brother's posture, trying hard to remain relaxed and composed.

"She's really not as bad as she seems...she can be quite charming at times...when she's not behaving like a petulant child. Not to mention that I haven't yet started educating her on the outside world." He said, almost reluctantly, as if he had been forced to justify himself. Davion kicked his legs out as he leaned further back to sit on the edge of the desk.

"And that petulance wouldn't happen to be the result of her ill-consent in all this, would it?" He asked, and put a hand up at the grim look on Jareth's face. "Relax, she was smart enough not to reveal that much. But, it does beg the question, if you were planning on having it submitted, why didn't you choose someone just a bit more willing?"

"Because my choice of Sarah was not made based on whether or not she would be willing."

"Ah, so you do love her then. I see no other reason why you would subject the both of you to all of this, so don't bother trying to cover it up." He said, and hopped down from the desk. Jareth didn't say anything, still wary of his brother's true intentions, and watched as he walked up and patted Jareth on the chest. "I congratulate you on your tragedy, brother. As that is the only way this will end. In the mean time, I hope love does not prove to be as cumbersome as I hear it is." He said. Jareth rose an eyebrow at his brother, and tried hard not to crack a sarcastic smirk.

"If love is cumbersome, I am sure to be crushed by it before the week is through." Jareth said, with both amusement and exasperation.

"Hmm, no. I have a feeling you'll push her just as hard as she pushes you, and spend the rest of your lives in a beautifully painful deadlock. One of which I can't wait to put myself in the middle of. You'll be the unstoppable force to her immovable object." Davion said, and stepped away. Jareth was starting to ease up with Davion's humor, but knew better than to let his guard down. There was still something else hanging on the end of his tongue, something he was waiting to say.

"Thank you, for the encouragement." Jareth responded.

"Oh, but it won't all be bad. I'm sure that fiery little spirit of hers has its perks...I imagine she is quite -entertaining. She sure smells it. So ripe, she's practically fermenting. Perhaps one day she'll take me as a mate. Imagine all the fun we could have then. Like in the good old days." The sneer on Davion's face sharpened as he called attention to what he thought was perhaps the most riotous aspect of his encounter with Sarah. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing to him, none at all. Her pheromones were running wild, showing no control nor care for herself. It was simply marvelous. She was sure to draw attention at court. He couldn't wait for their engagement party.

"Don't get too excited, brother. You know she didn't know what she was doing. And you would do well not to take advantage of her ignorance again."

"Because you're one to talk." Davion cheered. To him, this conversation was really quite funny, mostly because it was so serious to Jareth. And he wanted to see just how far it could be pushed. "You really haven't bothered to tell her anything? How in the world do you expect her to grasp it all in time for the celebration? You've been keeping her so under thumb...what do you think will happen once she realizes the level of freedom she has? Once she knows just how little control you truly have over her..."

"I will tell her as much as she can handle. She isn't ready to know of court life, yet. But even so, as her husband my word is still final... Why are you so concerned?" Jareth asked.

"Honestly? I'm not. I just find this whole situation a little hysterical." He said, with a wave of the hand. Jareth's scowl turned into a pout. There was nothing funny about what was going on between he and Sarah. "I've been here five minutes and already I can see just how ludicrous and pointless this all is. Maybe I should just kill her... Get it all over with."

The aura surrounding Jareth turned from cautious to deadly in an instant. It was bad enough having to talk about him killing her, a thought which sickened him each time it arose, but to hear the threat from another? His demeanor turned black and violent, but he held back, knowing what might happen should he let his impulses take over. This was his brother after all, if that meant anything. It didn't. Davion saw this reaction, and rose a brow as he watched it slowly retract back into itself. He stiffened a bit, not quite expecting such a dramatic change in mood from him. _Well, now...I must have struck a nerve._ He thought.

"You would dare voice such a threat? To me of all people? Brother or not I am still your King. If you ever lay a hand on her-" Jareth started to rant, but Davion was quick to lurch into action.

"Relax! Relax! Brother, I wasn't serious." Davion exclaimed, jumping down from his seat after fully realizing just how enraged Jareth was right now. He knew from past experience that Jareth's anger was not something you wanted directed at yourself. While he enjoyed poking at his older brother, he understood the limits. And apparently, this was one of them. "You really think I would do so? What would I possibly gain from it? Power over the Labyrinth? That is your aspiration, not mine." He started, keeping a close eye on Jareth's mannerisms. He hadn't backed down any. And the black pool of his stare only hardened. "Sure, holding the Labyrinth would grant me great power, but with it comes an even greater responsibility. You think I want to spend my time watching over that maze, maintaining the balance? Why would I want that? You do that well enough as it is." The dangerous aura surrounding Jareth didn't lessen, but it didn't grow either.

"Just your knowledge of this makes you a threat. You shouldn't have come here, Davion. Family or not, I know better than to trust you. Perhaps it is because we are family." Jareth rumbled. Davion eased just a bit. It was good that he was talking. If Jareth was truly set, he would have acted first and spoken of it after.

"I'm a loose end then, eh?"

"Not to mention the only other heir to the throne."

"Jareth, come now. You really think it has been my life long intention to usurp your throne? I thought you would have gotten it by now that I really couldn't care less. As devious as I admit I am, I am not nearly as devious as you can be. I may like to play games and cause trouble but..." He said, and paused to take a breath. "No, I am a king in my own sense. I rule over a land. I have power, prestige, pedigree, I have everything without even a hint of the responsibility. Tell me, have I ever been one to deny the easiest path? And besides, I'm sure you've got more booby-traps placed around that girl than I have scattered throughout my entire ward. It'd be sheer stupidity to even attempt something of ill-intent." The more logic he rambled, the more Jareth seemed to listen. In this, extremely rare instance, Davion was being completely honest. While it was true that he was the only other Fae to know of the agreement between Jareth and the Labyrinth, he hadn't the slightest desire to do anything about it. He was perfectly comfortable being the playboy that he was.

There was a long pause as each digested Davion's speech. He looked up after a while, and spied Jareth looking bleak and contemplative. There seemed to be more going on than so far admitted.

"When father passed on... We did well to secure the Labyrinth's cooperation. I kept your secret then. Why ever would I risk it now? If I wanted the Labyrinth, I would have done what you are attempting long ago. I had planned this conversation to be amusing, but it would seem things have taken a turn towards the opposite." Davion piped, hoping to breakthrough Jareth's brooding. After a moment, Jareth sighed, and brought a hand to his forehead.

"There is nothing amusing about trying to maneuver Sarah into anything." He muttered, almost under his breath.

* * *

Sarah walked behind Roldan with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at the back of his head. They were passing through the great hall, and instinctively Sarah turned in the direction of the hall that lead towards her room. She stopped however, after watching Roldan turn and head in the opposite direction.

"Um, where are you going?" She asked. Roldan paused, and glanced back.

"The Queen's chambers, Madam." He answered. Sarah drew her brow, and shook her head.

"My room is down this hall." She said, and pointed in said direction. Curiously, Roldan's brow narrowed as well, and he cautiously stepped towards her.

"My apologies, I am unfamiliar with this. If you would please, lead on." He said, and gestured for her to proceed him. She turned, and took a step.

"Jareth didn't tell you where my room was?" She asked, and could practically feel the annoyance radiating from the man quietly stalking behind her.

"I assumed it was somewhere else. My mistake." He answered. Sarah pursed her lips as she thought this over. (Hmm...) but couldn't come up with any solid conclusions.

Roldan grew more and more apprehensive the further he and Sarah ventured down the hall. He knew the direction in which this hall lead, and didn't want to believe this was where she was leading him. Why would Jareth put her there? It made no sense.

Sarah meanwhile, was enjoying in the new silence, using it to snuff out her previous irritation. _Maybe we just got off on the wrong foot...maybe things don't have to be so harsh._ She told herself, wondering if perhaps she should try to start things over with Roldan. Maybe, in time, she could get him to sympathize with her or something, gain an ally and yet another distraction from Jareth. Just thinking this put a small skip in her step.

They met their destination within a few minutes. She paused in front of the door leading to her room, but upon reaching out for the handle, was rudely cut off by Roldan -who insisted on opening the door for her. She gave him a nod and crossed the threshold. She wasn't sure what would happen now, but was surprised all the same when Roldan shut the door behind him, enclosing them both in the room. She turned to face him, expectantly.

"Shall I fetch your hand-maidens, so they may dress you for supper?" He asked. Sarah stared at him, blankly.

"My what?" She asked.

"Your maidens? Ladies in waiting? Servants?" He clarified, and grew perplexed when her brow twisted uncomfortably.

"I don't have any servants." She said, and couldn't help but sound awkward and out of place. Was she supposed to have servants? If so, why not? Based on the strange look she was getting from Roldan, she wasn't the only one who thought things seemed a bit off.

"I see..." He murmured, lost in some thought. Sarah teetered on her heel.

"And what do you mean, dress me for supper?" She asked.

"Peasant clothing is not suitable attire for a Queen, especially when presenting herself for dinner." He explained. Sarah drew her eyes on him. It seemed Roldan knew even less about Sarah's situation than she did.

"I don't really care what's suitable. I wear what I want." She affirmed.

"His Majesty-"

"It isn't Jareth's decision." She snapped. "I dress how I like, and Jareth hasn't said a word otherwise." She said, which was true. From the first day as his captive, he allowed her to choose her own clothing and hadn't said anything of forcing her to wear a certain attire. She wondered though, if she was getting a glimpse of an un-Jareth-biased based Fae culture through Roldan. Then again, he seemed to be a real tight ass. Maybe he was just being picky. Either way, she was _not_ changing her clothes.

"He allows you to present yourself in rags?" He asked.

"He doesn't _allow_ me anything. I have rights. And, I don't see what it matters anyway, it's not like it's some grand event. Dinner is always served in here." She said, and watched as Roldan's gaze narrowed and began roaming about the room.

"You eat in here? Together?" He asked. Sarah started to grow uncomfortable with the perplexity in his voice.

"Um, yes. Is that odd?" She asked. Roldan's brow rose as he shook his head.

"You are odd." He said. Sarah pouted when he gave a small exasperated laugh. _What is so funny? _ "You are to stay in here until His Majesty calls for you." He said, and turned to leave. Sarah's pout lowered into a scowl.

"Hey. Before you leave, let me tell you something that I hope you acknowledge more than Jareth does." She snapped. He turned back just as his hand touched the handle of the door. "I don't respond well to orders. So, if you want us to get along, I suggest you start showing off some of your own manners and ASK when you want me to do something." She lectured, and received a very, very high arch of an eyebrow in response. Roldan rolled his eyes, trying hopelessly to fathom what on Earth Jareth saw in this spiteful little creature.

"My Lady, would you please wait here until His Majesty sends word?" He asked.

"Yes, I will, thank you for asking. Is it really so hard for you people to grasp such a simple concept?" She asked, shaking her head, and then turned and viciously stomped away.

* * *

"Are you sure I can't stay for dinner?" Davion asked, hopefully. The tone of their conversation had lightened considerably over the past few minutes. Jareth seemed more at ease with himself, as Davion hoped he was no longer suspicious of him trying to murder his wife. Though, he understood every ounce of Jareth's caution. Davion was a threat, perhaps the greatest threat to Jareth retrieving power from the girl. And if Jareth truly had no intention of killing her, then all Davion had to do was step up to the plate.

But that was all so serious. And Davion didn't do serious. He was content enough with causing mischief between them as a couple, and wasn't concerned with all this scheming. But, after taking some time to consider everything, he may be able to find a way to use this as a part of his devilry...

"No, you may not." Jareth answered, sternly. Davion pouted, but Jareth's glare only intensified.

"You know, that look would have worked on Sarah." Davion commented.

"I know, hence why you are not allowed anywhere near her until further notice."

"Do you think she'll choose me? I hope she does. She is very beautiful, I will give her that."

Jareth couldn't help but crack a small smile of pride.

"I can't say, but if so, it won't be for quite some time. There are still rules." Davion rolled his eyes.

"Ah, but no time at all! You know how humans are. They reproduce like rabbits!" Davion's smile was wide, and full of excitement for the future. Jareth was sitting now, and kept his head lowered as he watched his brother's display. "I can't believe you haven't had her yet. She's so ripe! She's begging for it! How in the world do you endure it?"

Davion began to ramble, but Jareth wasn't listening anymore, and was slowly drifting off in his own thoughts.

Jareth's inner-self grumbled. This would be the most loathsome of discussions he would have to endure with Sarah in the near future. And he knew she wasn't nearly ready for it. Where should he start? Should he bother at all? Or just lay it all out when the time came? As much as he accepted this aspect of his society, he couldn't help but feel anxious and reluctant about it. And this was most likely because he understood the human notion of monogamy. It was no secret that the core of Jareth's personality was possessive, and he would undoubtedly possess every part of her. She would always be considered _his_; but possession and jealousy were two different things. There was no place in the Fae court for jealously. It simply didn't work. He knew this, but couldn't fight the feeling of discomfort that churned in the pit of his stomach at the thought of Sarah bedding another. And perhaps this feeling arose not from the fact that it was with someone other than him, but from the fact that he would have no say in the matter. Of course, it was more complicated than that; but Davion was right in his concern over how she would react after learning her true place in society. While he did have say over her in most things...there were certain, arguably the most important...decisions that were hers and only hers to make. Oh how he rued the day she found out, and could only pray she wouldn't use it as a weapon of spite against him. He groaned to himself, bringing more personal thoughts of Sarah to mind, and realizing it'd been quite some time since he'd left her in the pool room. No doubt she and Roldan were off to a brilliant start... Great.

He felt very, very tired all of the sudden.

"Say...aside from everything else, how does _Liana_ feel about all this?" Davion asked, plucking Jareth from his brooding.

"I'm not sure yet." Jareth mumbled.

"You're not sure? What do you mean, you're not sure? Is she trying to stop you, or not?" He asked. Jareth shifted, and stood from his seat.

"I don't know. Whatever side she's on, she's being quite irritating about it..." Jareth paused, not sure if he really wanted to say any more, but then realized that he'd told Davion just about everything that he didn't already know, so there wasn't much point in holding back. And on a side note, it actually felt -good- to talk to someone about his worries. "She's been tampering with Sarah's emotions...and I can't understand the reason why." Davion quirked an eyebrow, curious and just as lost on that thought as Jareth.

"That is troublesome..."

"I think it's time you were off." Jareth stated, just now deciding that it was time this conversation ended. Davion knew too much, but it was too late now. There was no way Jareth would be foolish enough to ever trust his brother, but maybe they could somehow work together in this... But, regardless of lingering thoughts of Davion, all Jareth could really think about was Sarah, and grew more and more antsy the longer he kept himself from her.

"As you wish. Thank you for not putting an end to me." Davion replied, and moved towards the door.

"For now. Don't push your luck."

"You're so cross tonight. I hope sweet Sarah is able to perk you up a bit." Davion said, with a laugh. Jareth scowled. "Oohh, too soon?" He added. Jareth shook his head and huffed, neither confirming nor denying his implication. Davion turned, and headed towards the door.

* * *

"How the hell does he do this..." Sarah murmured, as she hopelessly fumbled her crystal-encapsulated rose over her fingertips. She flicked her hand, and it unintentionally rolled down her wrist, plopping into the cushion of the chair she'd been sitting in. She groaned, and tried again.

Sarah wasn't sure how long it'd been, but she'd been alone for quite some time now, patiently waiting for Jareth's return, like a good little girl, and had grown a little bored along the way. She was so mad when Roldan left, and had spent a great deal of time pacing anxiously about the room, waiting and anticipating the fight she was dying to have with Jareth. _That man is so irritating! Ughhh! _ She still couldn't get over the way Roldan spoke to her, couldn't get over that she couldn't really do anything about it. And the more she thought about it, the more she assumed Jareth would probably end up taking his side anyway. Urg, she should have yelled more when she had the chance. It was useless screaming at Roldan, however -as she found out. No, Roldan was the type to wage war with his stoic silence. That kind of shit irritated her more than anything. At least Jareth fought back, you knew what he was really feeling, he gave you something to work with. Speaking of anger and Jareth, there was the whole Davion issue floating about in the back of her mind. It always seemed that she tried to rile him up, and yet when she was successful, found herself quaking in her boots in fear of the consequences. Seriously? Why do this to herself? But it was too late now, she'd made her bed and now she had to sleep in it. -_urrggghhh_. She _gucked_ at her own turn of phrase, and tried to find a way to be angry with Jareth over the matter. No doubt, Jareth would be broiling when he finally came back, and she needed to be equally ready with her own wall of rage, if she wanted any hope of dealing with that as well.

But, as the minutes started to tick, Sarah found that she was suffocating with her own anger. And realized all this brooding was rather pointless. What could she really do, but wait? What good would it do her to stomp around for God knows how long? No, it'd be best to just put it all on hold and save it. With this in mind, she started looking for other things to occupy her time.

She stopped to clear her head, and in doing so remembered how ungodly hungry she was. She headed over towards the table, and spotted the tiny bell Jareth had given her for just such circumstances. She rang it and waited. A few minutes later, a Goblin showed up with a familiar tray and soon dashed off again. She frowned as she removed the lid, thoughts of her failed attempt to lengthen Davion's stay coming to mind. She wondered if Jareth had an actual reason why he couldn't stay for dinner, or if he was just being Jareth. A part of her told her that she had no right to complain, she'd been trying to make him jealous, angry, after all. It was only expected that he would tell Davion to go home. With that said, she was still disappointed. Davion seemed nice enough, sweet even. Nothing like Jareth...

After dinner, she found herself twiddling her thumbs as she quietly examined every nook and cranny of her room. For as fancy as it was, there really wasn't much there, just a few odd decorations here and there. There was a book case on the other end of the room, but she was too antsy to focus on reading; it would probably be something boring anyway.

On more than one occasion, she would find herself standing in front of the mysterious double doors leading out of her room. One, she knew lead into the hall. The other...she still had no idea. Being alone with nothing but her thoughts spurned her sense of curiosity. She opened the door, but just as before, she couldn't bring herself to venture into the darkness. Where did this door lead to? Why was it so creepy and foreboding? Why did she get such an uncomfortable feeling when ever she opened it?

But regardless of her curiosity, she was supposed to stay put in her room. And while she really couldn't care less about listening to Roldan, she _did_ want to wait for Jareth. She had a lot of questions, odd things that had been pricking her attention all day; Roldan's confusion, Davion's mention of a celebration? It was apparent that there were things Jareth was keeping from those other than Sarah, and she found that to be rather interesting.

And so time passed, until Sarah found herself where she was now, sitting in a chair next to the fire, and mindlessly trying to master the art of juggling crystals. She'd spent more time chasing it across the floor than actually juggling it, but she was determined to at least roll it to the tip of her finger before the night was through. Speaking of which; _attempt number 347_ -

She flicked the ball up her hand. It was supposed to stop, to balance on the tip of her fingers, but it didn't, it kept on going, straight into the air. She gasped and jumped up, fearful of what it might crash into. It vanished from her sight behind a chair, and she dove on her hands and knees in an effort to catch it before it crashed to the ground.

Her knees hit the wooden floorboards with a thud, and she looked around with outstretched hands as she awaited the plummet that never came.

She furrowed her brow, and started glancing about the room. _Wha? Where the hell did it go? _ She asked herself. She sat up and leaned back on her heels, and then turned around when a glimmer caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

She would have jumped, but she'd been mentally building herself up for this moment, so she really wasn't all that surprised to find Jareth sitting in what was once her chair, nonchalantly toying with her magical-disappearing crystal. She stood and stepped towards him. He wasn't looking at her, but knew she was watching, and purposefully twirled her crystal about his hand in a way that laughed in the face of gravity. She rolled her eyes at him.

"When you're done showing off, I'd like that back." She said, hands on hips n' all. Jareth rolled the crystal one final time, before catching it in his hand and tossing it up to her. She turned away, and moved to set it back in its spot on her vanity. She came back, and sat on the couch next to his chair. "How do you do that anyway? Is it magic, or skill?" She asked. Jareth turned, and crossed a leg over his knee at the ankle.

"A little of both." He answered. "I could teach you, if you'd like." He offered. Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. There wasn't yet a reason to be cross with him, so soon; but she'd been building up her frustrations for a few hours now, and it was becoming difficult to hold it in now that he was here.

"I think I'm more comfortable throwing them across the room." She said, poutingly. Jareth cracked a smile and rolled his eyes.

"It seems your mood hasn't improved much from earlier." He said, and sighed. He'd assumed Sarah would be in a foul mood when he came back, but he was hoping she may have let it go by now. How foolish for him to even entertain the idea of hope.

"Yes, well, I've had a rather trying day." Sarah said, sarcastically, and waved her hand up in the air.

"That makes two of us." He said. There was a pause, and both could feel an awkward silence slowly creeping in. It was strange, Sarah thought she would have started screaming at him by now. "So, what would you like to argue about first?" Jareth suddenly interjected. Sarah rose her brow and glanced over to him. He was sitting languidly only a few feet away from her, and slouched towards her with an odd, lopsided grin on his face. She didn't quite know how to discern him. Was he angry? Or was he trying to pick on her? She glared away, and tried to remember all the reasons she was upset with him.

"I think Roldan hates me." She bit out, thinking it would be best to work up to more pressing issues as time progressed.

"Hate is such a strong word." He responded. She glanced at him then, the tone of his voice was just as languid and carefree as his posture. _Is he feeling alright?_ She wondered, but pushed the concern aside, and looked away.

"He was very rude, for no reason. I told him to stop being so disrespectful, and he said he couldn't disrespect someone with no respect to begin with."

"Ah, that's probably because you're dressed like a twelve-year-old boy." He said, with a certain kind of snark that she'd been experiencing far too much of lately. She darted her head towards him, glaring.

"What is it with you people and my clothes? Do I really look that bad?" She practically exclaimed, even tossing her hands in her lap at that. Jareth shifted in his seat.

"No, just inappropriate." He said, Sarah scoffed.

"If there is such a problem with my clothes, then why haven't you said anything? You've been quick to jump down my throat at all my other faults." She asked. Jareth sighed, and rested his jaw on the heel of his hand, seemingly bored with their conversation already.

"Personally, I couldn't care less about how you dress. When it comes down to it, all your fashion really is, is scattered bits of fabric littering the floor after I've ripped it from you." He explained, as if that was the most simple and self-explanatory bit of general knowledge. Sarah scowled. Would the sexual assumptions never cease? He took note of her offense, and continued before she had a chance to retort. "You're a grown woman, fully capable of dressing yourself; as long as you're decently covered, I see no reason to dictate to you otherwise." There, that was a little more appropriate. Sarah looked down as she thought this over.

"So, if you really don't care, why does Roldan have such a stick up his ass?" She asked. Jareth's eyes glared up at her, taking note of each curse word she threw at him.

"His job is to be strict." He answered. Sarah continued to stare, pushing him to continue. "If you haven't noticed yet, I do what ever I want, how and when. I keep Roldan around so that he may provide a just and unbiased perspective on things that I would otherwise disregard; in hopes of preventing me from making any decisions I may come to regret." He started to explain.

"So, what does that have to do with the way I dress?" She interjected.

"His job, is to help keep me in line, and by extension, keep you in line as well. I don't think I need to explain to you why it is improper for a Queen to dress so primitively." Sarah narrowed her eyes a bit.

"You listen to what he says?" She asked. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Listen? Yes. Act on? Not always."

"So, what makes his opinion so invaluable?" She asked.

"He's honest."

"He's an ass."

"Mind your tongue."

"Hmmph. I don't like him. He's obscene and offensive." She grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting. Jareth perked up a bit, a little intrigued.

"He's really ruffled your feathers, hasn't he? Glad to see it's because of someone other than me for a change. What did he say that was so offensive?" He asked.

"That my _manners are deplorable_, my _state of dress is abhorring_, my _language is disgusting_ and I have no self-respect." She snapped, glaring hard at the fire. Jareth's lips started twitching with the smirk he tried to suppress.

"Seems fairly accurate."

Sarah scoffed and rolled her eyes at him.

"Whatever, he's supposed to be a servant isn't he? And you want me to be Queen, shouldn't he be a little nicer when speaking to me?" Jareth sighed and slouched back in his chair. He probably should have warned Roldan about Sarah's temper...

"Whatever he said, he didn't mean it personally."

"His disgust seemed pretty genuine to me. And besides, it shouldn't matter. You're okay with him speaking to me that way?"

"His job is to tell us the things we don't want to hear, Sarah. That's why I keep him, he offers the hard truth that we want to ignore."

"Truth? I think he was just being a prick."

"Language." He commented.

"Screw my language! Do you even understand why I'm upset?" She exclaimed.

"Because I'm not the only one who thinks you're in need of firm discipline?" He guessed, mockingly. Sarah almost growled at him. She was trying to have a serious conversation, and he was making fun of her for it. Ugh.

"I'm serious, Jareth! He had no right to act like that! He had no right to talk to me like that, no right to put his hands on me!"

"What?" Jareth interrupted. Sarah was about to go on a tirade, but skidded to a stop at his comment.

"I said, he had no right to touch me." She repeated, and watched him awkwardly as he started staring her down. He didn't say anything, so she thought to explain a little further. "He told me to go back to my room, and I said no. He tried grabbing me but...I didn't let him."

"Hmm...I see."

"Is that considered permissible behavior as well? Because I'll be damned if I let myself be bullied around by the both of you." She started to lecture, but soon lost her thunder when she realized Jareth wasn't actually listening to her. His eyes were cast down, as if he were thinking about something very intently. She scowled, and waited for him to finish.

"Just me then?" He quirked.

"Well, I can't very well stop you now can I? With you being King and all. But I'm Roldan's superior, aren't I?"

"Yes... yes, you are." He mumbled, lost in whatever thought that was still tugging at his attention. "I'll speak with him."

"Please do."

They were quiet after that, each brooding about one thing or another. Sarah pouted in her seat, scowling down at nothing and trying her best to stay angry. She wanted to fight with him. That was what she'd been waiting for. But it just wasn't happening. She was being spiteful for no real reason. She drew her brow tight, and tried thinking of ways to go about picking a better argument. But, as seconds turned to minutes, she realized she wasn't as angry as she thought she was, and instead of fighting, thought that maybe now would be a good time to voice some of her more perplexing questions.

"Roldan didn't know about me, did he?" She asked. Jareth looked up from his dark contemplations, a little put on the spot by her question.

"No, he's been away. This was all just thrown on him today. I imagine that has something to do with his ... apprehension."

"I can see how news like that could put someone in a foul mood." She said, cattily. Jareth chose to ignore her attitude.

"How could you tell?" He asked. Sarah started shifting around, turning in her spot so she could better face him.

"He was very...confused." She said. Jareth started to grow more attentive then.

"How so?" He asked. Sarah shrugged.

"Well...he started leading me back to my room... but then he went the wrong way, and seemed really put off when I showed him where to go... Then he asked if I wanted him to fetch my hand maidens? Am I supposed to have servants?" She asked.

"Do you want servants?" He asked, deterring her from the rest of her concerning observations. He'd have to have a rather thorough talk with Roldan before the night was through...

Sarah blinked at him, and actually took the time to think that over.

"I...I don't know. Should I already have them? Roldan seemed to assume so..." Jareth shifted so he could sit more properly before responding.

"Sarah, you must understand that not all Fae have such an intimate knowledge of the Aboveground as I do. As I haven't yet explained you to Roldan yet, he probably assumed you were from here."

"From here?"

"Yes. There are humans in the Underground as well. They are few, of course, but their presence in our society is common place." He said. Sarah lowered her eyes as she thought.

"Ok, so what does that have to do with me having ladies in waiting?" She asked.

"If Roldan assumed you were from this world, then he also assumed you are a part of some well-to-do family -an obvious, though incorrect, explanation for our meeting and union- and being from such, you would have brought with you your own maidens to serve you in your new home. As this is not the case, you do not have any, and it is not my obligation to provide them for you." He explained. Sarah remained silent as she digested all of this. There were so many presumptions in and about the outside world. She was having a hard time discerning Jareth's so-called _bias_, from Roldan's, in an effort to figure out some actual, factual, knowledge about the Underground.

"Oh.." She murmured. Jareth leaned in a bit, examining the lost expression on her face.

"Would you like to have your own servants?" He asked. Sarah's head twitched as she registered his voice, and then scowled as she thought.

"Didn't you just say you're not obligated to provide them for me?" She countered.

"Yes... but that doesn't mean I won't. If you want something, all you have to do is ask."

Sarah's scowl continued to deepen, and Jareth didn't quite understand why. Was he missing something? He thought he was helping her. They were having a peaceful conversation. Why was she glaring like that?

"What would I even do with hand maidens?" She asked, but he wasn't sure if she were speaking to him or herself.

"Whatever you want them to do. Most commonly, they help you dress, keep you company, assist you in anything that may require it..." His voice trailed off as he thought of other reasons. He didn't spend excessive amounts of time with women, so it was hard for him to give examples as to the intimate actions of their servants.

Sarah gave Jareth's proposal honest thought. Did she want servants? At first, she couldn't fathom what on Earth she would do with them. She didn't need help getting dressed, and Jareth was doing a pretty good job of keeping her busy. She didn't like ordering people around, and knew she would feel awkward having a bunch of women waiting around for her to do just that. But...the company would be nice. She would have someone to talk to...but then again, they wouldn't be the gal pals she knew back home. They would be Fae women, most likely, hand-picked by Jareth. Did she really want to surround herself with a bunch of pro-Jareth mindsets? Not really. She could just imagine it, trying to vent girl to girl and being shut down, cold in her tracks, by being told that that was the way things were and that she had to obey her husband. Yea...Sarah was liking this idea less and less.

"I...don't think I need any. I mean...I'm perfectly capable of getting through daily life on my own, I don't need any help.." She said, a little uncertainly.

"You may think differently in time..." Jareth mumbled under his breath.

"Why do you say that?" She asked, and watched as his head darted up, apparently not realizing she may have heard him.

"Because you haven't yet been introduced into what will become your daily life." He said. Sarah frowned at that, now because she knew that she really didn't know anything. When was Jareth going to tell her all these things?

"And when will I be introduced?" She asked, trying not to sound too brisk.

"Well, after the show you put on this afternoon, I'd say we should start first thing tomorrow." He said.

"What do you mean show?" She asked, her voice just one level higher. Jareth sighed, and turned his head to look her straight in the eye.

"What did you think of Davion?" He asked. Sarah recoiled a little into her seat. Oh, so they were having _that_ conversation now. She put her hands in her lap and tried to hold her chin high. This could be the opening she was looking for.

"I thought he was very nice...and sweet, and that you should be more like him." She stated, flat and firm. Jareth's expression shifted subtly. It became more rigid, more intense. His eyes, which were up until that point dazed and unfocused, drew on her mischievously, and he rose a finger to tap against the grin he was trying to hide.

"Really? And why is that?" He asked. Sarah didn't seem to catch on.

"Because he wasn't being devious or manipulative. He was appropriately flattering, not crude and offensive. He knew a little something about boundaries, something I don't think you've ever even heard of." She said.

"I see... You don't think he was being manipulative? How would you know if he was manipulating you?" He asked. Sarah drew her brow a little. He was trying to get at something, but knew he wouldn't just spit it out, she needed to dig for it.

"Because there was nothing about our conversation that required manipulation. It was as shallow and lighthearted as discussing the weather." She said, with a wave of the hand.

"And you think words are the only thing that can be manipulated in a conversation?" Jareth asked, rhetorically it seemed.

"Ok, I can tell you're trying to set me up for something. So can you please just skip it and get to the point? Is there a reason why he couldn't stay for dinner?" She asked, letting some of her pent up irritation show through.

"Because you aren't ready for that kind of interaction." He said.

"Aren't ready? Are you kidding me? It was dinner! I think I could have handled it." She exclaimed.

"Eating? Yes, you could have handled _eating_ dinner, if that's what you mean. But I haven't taught you proper etiquette on how to interact with others yet. Your display this afternoon was proof enough of your inability to control yourself. It was embarrassing, quite frankly." He said, all haughty and condescending-like.

"What? What are you even talking about? What etiquette? And how did I fail to control myself? I didn't do anything! I thought I was being rather polite, actually." She was starting to get frustrated now. Why couldn't he just say what he wanted her to figure out? She hated his word games, they were so pointless.

"That's exactly my point, you have no idea what it was you did. And that is simply unacceptable. One of the reasons I've kept you such a secret is so I had time to explain to you the importance of interaction among my people."

"So explain! Geezus! Why are you being so shady about this?" She was sitting up on her knees now, trying hard not to lunge out at him and shake him senseless.

"You want me to be frank with you?" He asked. Her eyes were practically bugging out of her head in exasperation.

"Yes! Please! What did I do that was so horrible? Is that why Roldan was so disgusted? Did I do something I didn't know about?" She asked.

"Before I answer that question, tell me what it was you thought you were doing." The ghostly smile forever churning Jareth's lips grew and grew, but Sarah wasn't paying much attention to it.

"I -I-" She stuttered, not really wanting to admit what she was trying to do. But, it was obvious he already knew, and he didn't seem to be angry about it... "Well...I was a bit snippy with you...I guess that was on purpose...and I..."

"You what?" He urged.

"I...I _may_ have been trying to flirt with your brother. And it _may_ have been in payback for the torment you put me through this morning." She admitted, with a held breath. Aside from all the other obscurities, it always struck her the most odd at how blatantly honest she was with him. When ever he asked her something, she always answered, fully and truthfully. She thought it was because she was afraid of what would happen should he catch her lying but...it seemed to come naturally as well.

"So you were trying to make me jealous then?" He clarified. Sarah's widened eyes darted away, refusing to meet him in the eye.

"That depends... Did it work?" She asked, timidly. Jareth almost laughed.

"No." Her head darted up to him at that.

"No?" She repeated, a little dumbfounded. Jareth, the most controlling, possessive man she'd ever met, wasn't jealous or offended that she'd purposefully tried to goad him over his brother? How was that possible?

"No...You'd have to do a lot more than that to make me jealous, Sarah." He said, and she narrowed her eyes on his smile, as if only noticing its presence just now.

"What do you mean?" She asked, sensing something ominous in the way in which he said that. He lowered his eyes fractionally, and shook his head very subtly.

"That's a conversation for another day." He said, and her brow only grew more and more twisted. What did he mean by that? He didn't leave her much time to be confused over this however, as he started speaking again, calling away her attention. "Back to the one at hand. So, you thought you were engaging in casual conversation in an effort to spite me?" He asked. Sarah stared, using her silence as a signal of confirmation. "I'm glad you care enough to try to make me jealous." He added. Sarah opened her mouth as if to speak, but he raised a hand in a signal to wait. "With that said, do you intend on fucking my younger brother?"

Sarah gaped, openly, and blatantly. There were several things about that question that struck her; first, the fact that Jareth had just used the word fuck. He never cursed, ever. Second, was the sheer bluntness of it; and third, the odd, almost cheerful look that played across his face as he asked it. Her lower jaw rose and fell as she tried to play mental catch up.

"What? No!" The response burst itself out of her, with much more force and volume than anticipated.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Sarah started blushing then, not because she'd been found out or anything, but because she was simply uncomfortable talking about this with Jareth, especially after he'd been pounding notions of their own copulation so adamantly into her head. Why was he speaking so casually about this? Could he really not be angry? Or was this his anger? Masked by indifference? Was he trying to make her squirm?

"Yes, I'm sure! I don't want to have sex with anyone! But regardless of that, I'm supposed to marry you. I don't know about you, but the bond of marriage actually means something to me." She affirmed, which was true. Regardless of her spite against marrying Jareth, she would never conspire to cheat on him. Both because she believed in monogamy, and because she was terrified to death of what might happen should he find out.

"That's good..." Jareth mumbled, his thoughts briefly wandering to where this conversation could lead. There were things about their marriage Sarah was sure to reject, things she was sure to be disgusted with, and yet these were the very things that she might find liberating, and he found that worrisome. But, hopefully, Sarah's just now proclaimed devotion to monogamy would be enough to quell his worry, and maybe even turn it into something positive. There were three ways Sarah could react to that inevitable discussion. She could reject it, she could accept it, or she could utilize it. And it was that third option that gnawed him so. Perhaps in time...when they would both be better adjusted... He shook his head to himself, amazed with the level of emotion he felt over this issue. Never had he brought a single thought to this when making the decision to marry Sarah. But now, it seemed foolish to have ignored it. He wanted to marry Sarah because it fit in with his plan. He hadn't thought of the consequences of what would happen after the fact. _If she wanted to make me jealous... _ He looked back to her, shutting out his thoughts. There was a better time to have that conversation, but it wasn't tonight. She was not ready for it yet.

"Why would you ask that anyway? I wasn't flirting that bad." Her voice broke through his minor daze, freeing him from himself just long enough to respond.

"No, you didn't have to."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"My people...my people are considered to be connected to nature through our magic." He started, and sounded unsure of just how to say what it was he was trying to explain.

"Yeah?..." She quietly urged.

"We live through our senses...much more intensely than mortals do."

"Ok..."

"When we communicate, it is most often by the release of pheromones and chemicals rather than words." He said. Sarah scowled, just starting to grasp what he was saying. She thought back to that morning, to the strange state Jareth succumbed to while smelling her. _ Is that what he meant? Is that why he went all loopy? Oh, shit._ She looked up to him, hoping he would offer more of an explanation. "And your chemical signals, my dear, were running rampant."

Sarah's face fell, feeling horribly embarrassed for reasons she was barely able to understand. She thought -she didn't realize -

"So, while you were harmlessly fluttering your eye lashes, with thoughts of _my_ reaction, my darling baby brother was writhing hopelessly in the scent of your desire." He said, and paused, looking slightly upward as he recalled something. "It really was astounding. I could practically smell you from the hallway. Is he really so charming?" He asked. Sarah could feel her face beating with the pulse of her heart. How fucking embarrassing was this?! Ah, this was so much worse than she thought... He looked to her for a response, but her jaw was clenched so tight there was no hope of her speaking any time soon.

"You're offer to entertain him for dinner was just as easily an invitation into your bed, something he took to heart let me mind you. He was very excited about it. It took me quite some time to convince him you didn't know what you were doing." He said. Sarah just kept sinking lower and lower into her chair.

"So...Davion...you...Roldan?" She asked.

"Could smell your hormonal battle-cry for sex? Yes."

"Oh God." She said, pitifully, and covered her face with her hands. _ No wonder Roldan was so disgusted! No wonder he said I should be ashamed of myself! Ugh, Jesus, this is so embarrassing!_ She thought, hammering down on herself over and over.

"Yes...that is the kind of etiquette I'm most interested in teaching you...how to...control...your body...when talking to people." He said, trying to search for the right words. Sarah groaned, drowning in a pool of her own shame. Her hands still covered her face, and she brought her knees up to her chest and flopped onto her side.

"I feel like such an idiot! How is it you're not furious with me?" She uttered, pitifully. She felt so stupid, she must have made such a fool of herself. And what of Jareth? Having to endure that embarrassment in the background? All she wanted to do was twist a harmless thorn in his side.

"Because you didn't know any better, and because Davion did, and yet he took advantage of it. With that said, I'm still no where near happy with you, as none of that can cover up the fact that you still tried to openly disrespect me in the face of others, my own brother at that." He said.

Sarah tensed in her spot on the couch. She wasn't facing Jareth anymore, but could sense the more serious note his voice had taken. Should she be worried after all? She sat up, and scooted a little farther away from him.

"Well, now that all that is out of the way, what do you suppose I should do about the little stunt you've just admitted to pulling?" He asked. Sarah blanched. Shit. He was talking about punishments. She felt herself go rigid. Just the mere mention of his punishments scared the life out of her. She grew extremely anxious then, fearful of him in an instant. Her shoulders tensed, her whole body calling itself to attention.

"Um...let me off with a warning?" She asked. As dreadfully expected, Jareth started laughing.

"Oh, I don't think so. You don't appreciate the way Roldan spoke to you? I don't appreciate the way you speak to me." His voice took on a malicious rumble, a sound both delicious and terrifying. She placed a hand on the seat cushion next to her, preparing to bolt if need be. His smile widened at the panicked look in her eye, and in that moment, a sudden flash of an idea popped into his head. "How about this, given the circumstances, I may be willing to compromise." He said. Sarah narrowed her eyes, but didn't relax any.

"What sort of compromise?" She asked, warily. Jareth held her stare for a moment, before casually rolling his eyes towards a clock.

"Well, the night is still young. How about we start those etiquette lessons you're so dreading?" He proposed.

"Um.."

For as tensed and ready as she was, she found her body immobile as Jareth moved from his chair to join her on the couch.

"We can start with that mouth of yours. How many times have you cursed tonight? Let's see...three? Four? Five times was it? Not to mention your general rudeness and disrespect. I put up with you in private, but the line lowers dramatically outside of that. I will not have you embarrass both yourself and I in matters that are much more serious than you realize." He said. And on closer inspection of his dastardly grin, Sarah found herself jumping from her seat and darting away from him a good ten or so feet. "Why so skittish? I haven't even told you what your punishment is, yet." He said, smiling at her from over the back of the couch.

"I don't care what it is. I don't want it." She snapped, reacting more on instinct that intellect at this point. Jareth rolled his head towards her.

"You know it will be worse for you if you try to run, Sarah. I will catch you eventually." He said, and rose to start stepping towards her.

"Stay away from me!" She cried out in a mild panic, and tried side stepping further away from him. He started shaking his head.

"Really, Sarah? We were having such a calm and rational conversation just now. Don't ruin it." He said. Sarah's eyes widened.

"Ruin it? You want me to let you hurt me! What is rational about that?!" She called out, slowly realizing that all her effort was about to be meaningless. There weren't very many places for her to run off to, and besides, she knew that he would catch her just as he said. But, there was no way she was going down without a fight. -Fight. Yes, fight. This was her opening. This was the confrontation she'd been looking for. She would not let him think it was acceptable to punish her like an animal.

She realized just how close he was now, and jumped away.

"Get away from me, Jareth!"

Jareth sighed. This was really how it was going to be? So much pointless energy...

"Sarah..."

"No! It is not okay that you think you can just punish me when you think I've been bad! I am not an animal!" She yelled.

"Sarah...come here." He patiently ordered, trying his best not to lose his temper with her. She glared and snarled her lip at him.

"No. Leave me alone!"

Jareth lowered his head. She was making him out to be such a monster again, while she had no idea what he had originally planned to be her punishment. He shook his head in exasperation. _ She wants me to be the bad guy? Fine._

He rose his head and encroached on her with just a few brisk strides. She tried to dart away, but he captured her by the arms and held her in place. She started flailing against him madly then, as if his hands were made of molten steel.

"Jareth! Stop! Get away from me! Just leave me alone! Please!" She started shrieking, so frantic that he had to actually strengthen his grip rather tightly just to keep her in place.

"Calm down." He growled, though there wasn't true anger in his voice -yet. She wasn't listening however, apparently lost to her own barrage of emotions.

"Don't! Please! Please, don't hurt me! LET GO! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, just don't hurt me. Let go of me!" She was still fighting him viciously, but now her shoulders started to sag, as panic turned to fear and inner turmoil. Her pleas bounced between anger and submission, reflecting her war of emotions. She was staring at the floor, wincing as if she were in incredible pain, and her breathing was hard and sporadic. Jareth scowled down at her. He was sure he wasn't hurting her...She was _so_ overreacting right now. The display of which irritated him. If she would just shut up and listen to what he had to say, she would know he never intended to hurt her. Not all punishments had to be painful...

He tightened his grip on her wrists and jerked her to attention.

"Stop all your thrashing and listen to me." He commanded.

"Listen to you? Why would I listen to you? Just -leave -me -alone." She said, through gritted teeth and jerked herself hard away from him. Jareth scowled harder, and released her hands, watching as she used her own inertia to throw herself to the floor.

Sarah hit the floor with a crash, her mind scattered in a shattered mess about her. She had no idea why, but just the threat of Jareth punishing her brought about an instant state of catatonic panic. All she could think of were all the times he'd attacked her, of the fear she felt, and the horrid look in his eye, and most of all the pain, the horrible, terrifying pain. She remembered the pain she felt in her arm when he'd squeezed it so hard she was sure it had broken, of the sharp crack she felt in the back of her head when he'd thrown her to the floor in the throne room. She didn't want to feel any of it, not the fear, or the panic, or the pain. There was no way she was going through it again. God knows what he had planned for her this time. She was not taking the chance.

He hunkered down, and reached out for her, but she was quick to swat him away, and started back peddling across the floor until she managed to stagger to her feet.

"What is wrong with you? Just when I think we're getting along, when I think you might not be so horrible, you -you -ruin everything!" She cried out, with a fervor that she herself couldn't place. Her voice was growing louder and louder, feeding off her own energy. Jareth's expression was darkening fast, but he refused to let her unravel him. No. He stomped towards her and took her by the shoulders, snarling as he said,

"Stop talking." He snapped, trying his best not to let his anger control him. Why was she reacting this way? Why had she snapped so suddenly? He refused to let her ruin their night like this. She wanted him to be the monster. He would not. He would not let her control him that way. No, he had something better in mind.

"No, I will not stop talking! You can't order me around, Jareth!"

"This display of yours isn't helping." He said, low and slow.

"What are you going to do? Throw me around? Hurt me until I stop screaming at you? Let me tell you something, that won't make me stop!"

"What will then?"

"Leave! Leave me alone and stop! Just stop and go away!" She cried to him. Jareth's stare was blank anger, unable to fathom how in the hell the situation turned to this so quickly. He was getting angry now, not so much at Sarah, but at the situation in general. "Do you have any idea how much I hate you?" She bit out.

Jareth froze. There was a snap in the air, something he wasn't anticipating. He held Sarah by the shoulders, and started squeezing -hard. She bit her lower lip in an effort to suppress the pain, burning him with the rage in her stare.

"You don't mean that." He growled, and pushed her away from him. She stumbled back, gathering herself before launching another attack.

"No, I don't. But I should. I wish I did. I have every reason to. Why shouldn't I hate someone who abuses me?" Jareth winced distastefully, and stomped his way to her. She held her ground this time however, fisting her hands at her sides.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, full of exasperation and rage. There was no reason for her to be acting so neurotically.

Sarah thought over Jareth's question in a nanosecond. Why was she doing this? Was he really asking her that? Why was she doing this? _ Because he's trying to hurt you! _Her conscience exclaimed. _He thinks he can control you! Push you into submission! You're not his dog Sarah! Fight him! You've been waiting for this! You need this!_ But as she worked her way through the rampage of her thoughts, she found she was still asking the same question. Why? Weren't they being rather complacent just a few minutes ago? What changed...what sparked? And that was when she realized the real reason she was losing her shit right now. She _wanted_ to. Hadn't she been pacing her room for hours just thinking about it? Hadn't she been waiting for Jareth's return for the sole reason that she would fight him? Wasn't she looking for any excuse to be angry with him? Like she always was? She wanted this. She was making this happen, and she needed it to happen. With all her pent up frustrations...she didn't know what else to do with them but send them full force at the one person who could take it. She wanted this fight. She wanted him to fight back. Why was she afraid? Why was she doing this?

"Because I can." She said, and with that one, simple sentence, a resolve she didn't know she had surfaced and washed over her in a wave of twisted ascension.

"...What?" Jareth asked, his voice just barely balancing on his own meltdown. THAT was her justification for all this? Because she could? She was causing so much pointless drama out of spite? Why?! Where was the logic in that? He couldn't understand, and in his inability, grew insanely irritated. This woman...he wanted to take her by the throat and throttle her.

He lurched forward suddenly, putting only a centimeter between them, and snarled down at her, growing more and more frustrated with the stone cold glare he was met with.

"You spiteful wretch of a woman. Do you have any idea how infuriating you are?" He asked, grinding his teeth and wincing as if speaking were the most painful thing he had experienced.

"Leave me alone, and you won't have to deal with me."

Jareth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What could possibly be going on in that neurotic little head of hers? What was it about her that brought him to the point of ripping his hair out instead of hers? He wanted to break her so badly his hands were trembling with the restraint of it, but something was holding him back. His heart started to pound, just as hers started to settle. She was doing this on purpose then? Fighting him on purpose? Trying to make him fight her back on purpose? Why?!

"What is wrong with you? Why are you fighting me?" He snapped.

"I've had a rather trying day, and you happen to be in my line of fire." She said. Jareth let out the breath he was holding, his shoulders relaxing barely enough to say so. They were each quiet a moment, letting each other settle down some before picking back up.

"Is that so?" He asked, and sighed.

"Are you still going to hurt me?" She asked.

"If you would have shut up and listened to me, you would know I wasn't planning on hurting you at all." He said, and with that, some of the tension lifted from them both.

"What were you going to do?" She asked.

"Oh, now you're listening."

"Now that I know pain is off the table, yes." She said, and practically stomped her foot at him. Jareth took another deep breath, readying himself for his next sentence. _This is unbelievable... _He thought, his sneer tensing as he ground his teeth.

"Let's play a game."

There was a pause. Sarah took a step back. What?

"What kind of game?" She asked.

"That depends, do you still want me to leave you alone?" He asked. Sarah furrowed her brow.

"Yes." She said, warily, a feeling that intensified when a sly smile began piercing Jareth's lips.

"How about this; if you can be quiet for FIVE minutes, I will leave you alone for the rest of the night." He said, slowly. Sarah turned her shoulder to him. Hmm...that seemed too easy, especially after the meltdown they'd just barely avoided.

"And if I'm not?" She asked.

"Then you have to stop fighting me for the remainder of the evening."

Sarah stood her ground, thinking over every possible loophole in Jareth's words. This seemed...too simple. There had to be a catch. He wasn't nearly as angry as he normally was. She glanced over him, running her eyes from nose to foot and back again. He was waiting for her answer.

"What's the catch?" She asked. He shook his head.

"No catch. Just stop -talking. Stop yelling. Stop cursing, for five minutes. Think you can handle that?"

She narrowed his eyes on him, suspicion pouring heavily out of her every pore. There wasn't a fiber in her being that told her she should trust him, but just the way in which he spoke told her just how tired he was. Maybe...maybe it was that simple?

"And this is my punishment?" She asked. Jareth started to sag.

"This is my compromise. Take it or leave it." He said. She pursed her lips, giving him one final glare before exhaling through her nose.

"Fine." She said, and watched as Jareth turned and raised his arm in the direction of the window. He started twirling his finger, and slowly, a clock began to materialize in the room. It's numbers only going up to five. He turned back, and she was utterly frozen in place by the wicked, melting, glowing sneer of total fucking victory that met her.

"Wonderful, we'll start now." He said, and in one swoop of his arms, lifted her up and threw her onto the bed.

* * *

Sarah gasped as she hit the soft plush of her bed with a quiet thud, and sank into the fabric. She didn't have the chance to think about what was happening when Jareth was suddenly on her. He straddled her waist, and took hold of her flailing arms and pinned them down to her side.

"Jareth? What the Hell are you doing?!" She screamed, fighting him tooth and nail in a pointless effort to escape. He smiled like deviant, and bent down to bring himself more level with her.

"Ah, ah, ah. Strike one. Two more, and you lose." He said, and pushed her arms high above her head and magically shackled them in place.

Sarah's panic level rose to Defcon 1 as she realized the stupidity of her decision. She knew better than to accept any sort of challenge from Jareth. _Stupid! Stupid!_ She pulled against the bonds on her wrists, but met no avail. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might burst from her chest. She looked to Jareth, hopeless and pleading. There was no room for anger yet. He leaned over further, resting on his hands as he stared at her.

"You make a habit of trying my patience. You misbehave on purpose, knowing full well the consequences, and yet refuse to accept them. You pick fights with me, make me sick with my own rage, all because you think you can? You say you're so frustrated you have no choice but to lash out at me? Is that it? Well, I think I know a better way to help you relieve some of that tension." He said, and gripped the sheets tightly. "You agreed to this, Sarah. Five minutes. If you can stay quiet for five minutes, I will leave. I will leave peacefully and not bother you for the rest of the night. But if you can't. If you can't hold that tameless tongue of yours for five meager minutes, you have to stop fighting me, and let me do what ever I want to you until the sun comes up." He said, and locked eyes with her to make sure she fully understood what he was saying.

Sarah's eyes widened until they were the size of dinner plates. He was really going to do this to her? What was even happening? What the fuck? She felt her chest expand, about to unleash all Hell on him, but the glimmer in his eye caused her to suck in her lips and clench her jaw tight. Shit, he was serious. She let out a breath, rethinking her situation. Five minutes. What can he really do in five minutes?

"Before we start, let me make this a lesson by explaining what this will do for you." He started, smiling gallantly at her silent glare. "You have a problem controlling on what comes out of that pouting little mouth of yours. This will help teach you restraint, and consideration. We will also be tackling the problem of your over-burgeoning pheromones."

Sarah's entire body tensed at that. What? What does he mean pheromones? How-

"You have an excess of hormones spilling out of you, with no where to go. It's difficult for you to control because there is simply too much to control. The most logical solution to this, would be to exhaust them, find them someplace to go. Give them an appropriate -outlet- if you will." The more Jareth talked, the more Sarah dreaded the next five minutes. He was doing this on purpose, talking it up and psyching her out. As if this situation wasn't bad enough. "You think you can just attack me when you're frustrated, Sarah? I'm going to show you that there are better ways to go about relieving your frustrations." He said.

He sat back on his heels, and turned towards the clock floating off to the side. Sarah's eyes followed the line of his arm as it stretch out once again, and watched as he turned his index finger in a slow circular motion. She practically lurched up off the bed when she realized he'd reduced the speed of the clock by tenfold. Each second now stretched to ten.

"WHAT! That's not fair!" She screamed, and started jerking against her restraints. Jareth turned back to face her, laughing softly.

"Strike two. One more little outburst, and I win."

Sarah's heart fell to the pit of her stomach. If she spoke one more time, he would stay. He wouldn't let her go, and he would do God knows what to her for as long as he wanted. But if she stayed quiet, he would leave. But he'd just stretched five minutes to fifty. Could she keep quite for almost an hour? Fuck no. But, but she couldn't say anything. She had a decision to make, an hour, or the entire night. Her pride, or her body. What was he even going to do to her anyway? How far would be go? She bit the inside of her cheek and tried bucking him off of her. No one said anything about not fighting.

Jareth leaned over her, her wiggling body having no effect on him whatsoever, and brushed the hair away from her neck. He lowered himself, pressing flush against her and ran a finger along the collar of her shirt.

"Do you remember this morning? And our discussion about sexual activities? You're lack of which is what is causing you to fester so deliciously. You said you didn't want what I was offering you...and I said you didn't know what it was you were refusing?" He asked, rhetorically of course. "Well...I think it's time I gave you a small taste of what it is you want no part of. Maybe, before the night is through, you'll reconsider my offer." He said, and hooked a knuckle under her chin, pushing her up as he pressed his lips to hers.

Of course, Sarah did not for one moment even entertain the thought of responding. She kept her lips pressed tight together, refusing to give him anything, and tried turning her head away. He didn't seem to mind this, and instead kissed along her jaw and began to travel down her neck.

Her breathing escalated quickly, becoming more frantic the closer Jareth neared her heart. He rose his hands, and pulled off his gloves, tossing them aimlessly across the room. His lips were working their way over her chest, and his hands slowly traveled up and began undoing each button on her blouse.

Sarah gave an involuntary, panicky shriek in the back of her throat, and tried bucking against him once more. It was useless however, as all Jareth had to do was use the weight of his body to hold her still. He kissed a line across her chest as his hands worked free the final button. He reared up a little, and brushed open her shirt.

Their eyes locked, and Sarah felt herself blush like she'd never blushed before, and gulped as her teeth ground against each other. Jareth seemed very serious all of the sudden, determined, and ruthless. It was terrifying, and sinfully erotic. She hated it. She was so angry, but surprisingly, not with him. She was angry with herself, for allowing him to trick her so easily. So much had happened today, so much had happened between them today. Was this really how it was going to end? Ugh, this was literally going to be the longest five minutes of her life.

Wordlessly, Jareth leaned forward once more, and resumed his trail of feather light kisses down her sternum, pausing between the hallow of her breasts.

"Your heart is beating so fast...It's like you've caged a hummingbird between your ribs." He said, and carried on. She felt herself gasp, accidentally raising her chest up into him.

His hands splayed around the sides of her ribcage, holding her suspended just slightly. He nipped at the junction of her bra, and after crossing over it to more skin, pressed a hot, open mouth kiss hard and wet to the center of her abdomen. His hands started to wander, conforming to her body and taking in every curve they came across. His kisses traveled downwards, making a ring around her navel. She continued to struggle, but was quickly realizing it was a war already lost. She looked to the clock for hope, and almost died when she saw it had only been three seconds.

He shifted himself further down her body, and leaned up again. He nipped along the waist of her pants, dipping his tongue under the band as his hands made short work to the button in the center. She drew her legs together, and tried to focus on her breathing. It wasn't working. She thought about kicking him, but he was straddling her knees, and she couldn't move them in the slightest.

His hands gripped the fabric of her pants, and began to slowly pull down. She closed her eyes, and whined. She wanted nothing more than to give up. But she couldn't. She had to hold out. She felt the warm comfort of her pants as they were delicately maneuvered down her legs, and felt a brisk chill that came with their absence. In one final tug, he pulled her pants, along with her shoes, down and off of her. Instinctively, she drew her knees up to her, in a ball, trying to cover herself from him, and whimpered when he reached up, grasped her knee, and yanked them back down again. He re-straddled her knees, and ran his hands up and down the length of her thighs.

"You look so beautiful sprawled out like this." He said, and Sarah couldn't help but feel a hot pang in her chest at the way his words vibrated through the air. She looked away, disgusted. She should not be enjoying this. Not for one single moment.

In a flash, he was laying out against her again, his hands now running up the length of her arms. She took a deep breath, and opened her eyes.

"I want you to relax. This isn't meant to punish you. After the long day we've had...I think we both deserve a bit of release." He said. Sarah's eyes widened, aghast, and never before had she wished to be a mime. How dare he! She was in no way consenting to this! He was- he was- molesting her right now! Plain and simple. She thought about spitting at him, but wisely decided against it. "I wish you would have told me more about your past experiences, so I know more of where to start...But I suppose the basics are as good a start as any." He said, and while keeping his gaze locked with hers, ran his hand down the side of her, and gently squeezed at her breast. She may have yelped, but the sound was drowned out in the back of her throat. His grip became more firm, gently massaging her covered breast. He looked away from her then, watching his own movements, and pushed harder, raising her breast so it perked higher up her chest. "I don't much care for these things." He mumbled to himself, and moved his hand higher to dip under the cup of her bra. She tensed up immediately, and winced as if he'd burned her, biting her lip and huffing and puffing through her nose.

He paused then, as something clicked in his head. He moved off of her, off the bed completely, and walked towards the end post. She opened her eyes, and peered anxiously at him. He bent down, so she couldn't see what he was doing. When he stood however, she didn't quite understand what he was holding.

He had a -a scarf? A purple scarf in his hand. Why? How? That was when she remembered. She remembered, her first morning here, when he'd thrown the snake at her face...and it turned into a scarf. He'd tied it around her bed post... What was he doing with it now? He walked back, and crawled up her legs.

"I think this might help you relax, a little." He said, and reached up to tie it around her head. She thrashed against him. There was no fucking way she was letting him blindfold her. _How is that supposed to help me relax?_ She wanted to scream at him. If she was blindfolded, she couldn't see the clock, but more importantly, she couldn't she what he was doing to her.

She huffed and puffed, but ultimately, Jareth got his way, and secured the bit of cloth tight around her eyes. She huffed, and threw her head back into the bed, feeling more on guard than before; but wasn't ready when he suddenly kissed her. She gasped and drew in a breath, which in turn granted Jareth some small form of access as he kissed her deeper.

"Relax. Feel my touch. Don't think about it. This isn't life or death. Just pretend this is one of your dreams, and enjoy." He murmured and moved away from her.

The pound of Sarah's heart was drowned out only by the sound of her breathing as her chest heaved faster and faster. She couldn't feel Jareth anymore. She couldn't see him. She had no idea where he was or what he was going to do. Lost in darkness only heightened her other senses, which combined with her anxiety, made her think that she would explode from even the slightest pin prick. How was blindfolding her supposed to help again?

It seemed as though decades were passing as she waited. She couldn't hear anything, couldn't feel any movement. What was he doing? Was he still there? Then suddenly, before her mind could crack any further, she felt the warm pressure of Jareth's hand as it pressed against the inside of her thigh, and caressed upwards. She whimpered in the back of her throat. _Pretend this is a dream? Fuck that!_ She squeezed her legs tighter together, trying to block him from reaching his destination.

He pulled his hand from the trap of her thighs, and instead ran the tips of his fingers under the band of her underwear. She sucked in her stomach on reflex, in any effort of getting away. His hand moved up then, up the center of her stomach and over her breast. He leaned forward, and kissed along her stomach. He watched the way her legs trembled, and could hear the erratic pounding of her heart. He sighed, blowing warm air out over her quivering skin. This wasn't going to work if she didn't relax. He leaned up, and brushed away a lock of hair that had clung itself to her face. She twitched at the surprise of his touch.

"Are you really so afraid of me?" He asked. Not surprisingly, she said nothing. He looked down, over her ripe and quivering body, bringing together another hopeful thought. "Sarah, I can smell you. You're burning right now. Burning to be touched... Who knows, you may even lose some of that temper afterwards..." He tilted his head as he lazily traced along the line of her bra. "I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer -no penalty." He said. Sarah's ears perked up. "Do you enjoy fighting with me?" He asked. Sarah frowned. Why was he asking her that? She opened her mouth to respond. "I want an honest answer." He added.

"I - ...yes."

"Why?" He asked, and waited. "No penalty." He quickly added. Sarah turned her head away from him, uncomfortably. Why was he asking of this now? In the middle of molesting her?

"Because...because I can't give in to you. I can't let you win." She muttered, shamefully. Why was she telling Jareth all this?

"I'm not asking you to give in." He said. Sarah pursed her lips. "If I promise not to fuck you, will you relax?" He asked. Sarah didn't respond, but the immediate lax that washed over her body was answer enough. Was that what she was so worried about? That he would rape her? How many times had he told her otherwise? He lowered his head, and kissed the lip she was gnawing at so viciously. "You're going to enjoy this, I'll make sure of it." He said, and pulled away.

Sarah teetered on the edge of an emotional cliff as she waged war over whether or not to heed Jareth's words. _ He said he wouldn't have sex with me...that means this is just foreplay, right? But, that shouldn't matter! He's still molesting me against my will!_ Her thoughts screamed one contradiction after another. She knew this was wrong, she knew she should be fighting him tooth and nail, but her body seemed to have other plans. There was no getting away, and knowing this, allowed the dark and nasty part of her subconscious to tell her that this_ could_ be like one of her dreams. This was going to happen one way or another, why not just swallow her pride and try to enjoy it? She snarled, and pushed those thoughts back into the murky depths from which they came. No. She had no choice but to lay back and take it, but she would not give him the satisfaction of her writhing. And so she fought and fought, keeping perfectly still all the while.

But, regardless of her opinions, she did feel tremendously more relaxed after Jareth's promise. She was no way on board for this backhanded, twisted little game of his, however. What was she supposed to do? Aside from the obvious and not talk? How far would this go? She wished she knew what time it was.

Jareth moved down the bed, and ran the tips of his fingers up her thigh once more. She was tense, but it was more from anticipation than from fear at this point. He inhaled through his nose, savoring the sweet smell of her arousal that blossomed feverishly against her better wishes. He felt his own desires flare, but pushed it away. This was about her, not him. If he could introduce her to this -leaving her wanting, and curious - perhaps things would work out in the long run. But for now, he knew to keep his head about him. This was still a game in every sense. His hand continued upward until he brushed over the sensitive mound at the apex of her thighs. She took in a sharp breath and jerked. He pushed his hand downward, grazing flat-palmed over her cleft. She jerked again, and pushed her legs tighter together.

He pulled his hand free, and jerked apart her legs, moving to sit over one, ensuring she couldn't cut him off again. After he was secure, he brought his hand back to the flaming hotspot between her thighs. He pushed his fingers against her, firmly and rhythmically, and closed his eyes as he savored the heat.

Sarah was quiet. Dead quiet. She lay utterly frozen, unable to actually react to Jareth's actions in any way. Her thoughts were a mad house however, lecturing her conscious mind not to pay any attention to him, to just lay through it until the five minutes were up. But she was having a hard time ignoring the feeling of his massaging her _there_. He was right, you couldn't actually feel anything in a dream... There was a crack in her armor, and a small, almost invisible roll of her hips seeped through.

Jareth inhaled sharply at the feeling of her press up against him, subconsciously no doubt. He lowered himself, and began kissing up her knee as his fingers pressed harder, moving in rhythmic circles around her pleasure center.

Before she knew it, his hand had moved lower, and dipped beneath the hot and steamy fabric of her panties. This new, more intense contact caught her off guard. His fingers were both warm and cool all at once, and skillfully pushed and dipped between her folds, spreading her. She opened her mouth and arched her back, an action that she quickly counteracted, and instead tried, painfully almost, to keep herself glued to the mattress.

Jareth's lips were slowly meandering up the length of her thigh, inching closer and closer to the radiance of heat already flushing his senses. At once point, it was almost too much. He bit down on the flesh of her thigh, and thrust two of his fingers inside of her, pushing as far as her body would let him, and stretching her wide, feeling every bit of warmth and wetness she had to offer.

Sarah let out a hoarse, almost cough like moan, as she lurched off the bed. She couldn't see what was happening, so every little movement came as a tantalizing, horrid, surprise. He started sucking on the artery on the inside of her thigh, plunging his fingers viciously in and out of her. The way he curled his fingers made her squirm, and caused her face to grow hot as she tried to fight off her body's reaction to him. Her mouth refused to close, taking in one heavy breath after another.

She'd never felt anything like this before, anything this remotely intense, and all he was doing was fingering her. Maybe it was because she was blindfolded. Maybe it was because she was scared to death. Either way, she found that she could only watch as her body began to push and pull against him, though it was no longer fighting to get away.

Feeling Sarah's body betray itself, Jareth removed his lips from her thigh and kissed the short trial between there and her cleft. He kissed and bit at the fabric of her underwear, breathing hot air into her now sensitized flesh.

Sarah squirmed, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed for what Jareth was doing, and what she was doing in response. She felt the heat of his lips on her, felt the moisture of his tongue through her panties, and she couldn't do anything about it. She hated it. She was revolted. And yet...

Suddenly, Jareth's free hand reached down and pushed the lace of her underwear out of the way. His mouth latched into her newly exposed flesh and sucked, swirling his tongue around her center and flicking at her poor unprepared bundle of nerves. As he did this, he thrust a third finger into her, pushing her apart and hitting every pleasure button he could find. He was precise and matriculate, never once faltering from his concentration. Fuck!

Sarah arched so high off the bed she thought she may have broken her back. The quick and sudden impact of Jareth's wonderfully wet mouth hit her like a brick wall. She shrieked, refusing to let it turn into a moan, and held herself suspended as she endured his onslaught. She felt every movement of his fingers, every flick of his tongue. She felt a heat rising in her cheeks and she was helpless to stop it. And in that brief moment of suspension, couldn't deny the fact that she didn't want to. Her chest became heavier and heavier as she heaved for breaths that did nothing to quell the lightheaded feeling that was quick to consume her entire body. She tensed her legs against him, struggling against the churning, burning sensation pounding through her. The more intense it became, the more it consumed her. She knew this feeling. She knew this heat. She'd felt something similar to it -that morning. But as she now realized, her own self pleasure compared nothing to this. Nothing to the downfall of morale she was letting Jareth drag her into. She heard herself moan against her will as every muscle in her body clenched, and then released in a slow, shameful euphoria.

Jareth removed his fingers, and sat up over her. He licked one while pulling up the blindfold concealing Sarah's eyes. She had a terrified and flighty look on her face, while Jareth's smile couldn't have beamed any brighter.

"Well, that was much too easy. How long has it been?" He said. Sarah would have scowled, but she was breathing too hard to make any kind of real expression. "I think we should try again, try to get you to hold out a little longer next time." He said cheekily, and pulled the blindfold back over her eyes.

Sarah relaxed her shoulders into the mattress. That wasn't nearly as traumatizing as she thought it would be. Actually, it was the exact opposite. And for as eternal of an experience as it was, it had all happened rather quickly. She'd fought against it, fought both him and herself, and yet he was able to command her body effortlessly. Realizing this, fighting started to seem like a pointless notion as she hummed on the afterglow of her orgasm.

Maybe it was the release of physical tension, maybe it was the blindfold, but there was a new fluidity moving through her that she'd never before experienced in such a way. She was angry, but it no longer dominated her, it no longer consumed her mind and asphyxiated her rational. It was like a weight had been lifted, allowing herself to question once more, why was she doing this? At what point did spite exhaust itself?

Is that what Jareth was trying to do? Could she really release her anger through an orgasm? Her spectral self did a quick once over of the heap she'd been reduced to in only a matter of minutes, and concluded that must be exactly the case.

But, just when her breathing started to shallow, she felt the hot pressure of Jareth's mouth press against her neck. She drew in a breath and whipped her head away, unconscious of her own reaction. He shifted over her, and pushed the sides of her shirt further apart as he languidly sucked his way down her neck. She arched her back when his fingers dipped under the strap of her bra and tugged, shifting it up her shoulder. His hand lowered, under the cup of her bra, and began gently massaging the tender fullness of her breast.

Sarah jerked on reflex, but was surprised at how -unsurprising his touch was. Now that she was finally starting to relax, she was able to figure out why Jareth had blindfolded her. She couldn't see. She could see him, or her or any of the shame that was transpiring between them. She was afraid of this at first, but now... Now she was able to disconnect, remove herself from the situation, block out all the wrong, all the resentment, leaving nothing but pleasure, pure and simple pleasure. It was like having an epiphany.

She was being slowly consumed by the burning clutches of her primal self. And the more it dominated, the less she fought against it. Her mind was turning on itself. She was no longer actively fighting. She wasn't doing anything. Her conscience was blank, her thoughts quiet. She was hollow, allowing herself to be sucked further and further into the vacuum of her libido. She didn't care. She was shameless. Her opinions started to scatter. None of it mattered right now. All that mattered was feeling. Pleasure...she was lost to it, completely taken by it. And all this was amplified by the fact that she didn't have to accept it, she didn't have to acknowledge it. Jareth wasn't there. She could shut him out if she wanted.

She reveled in the darkness, floating in the strange sense of lucidity it gave her. She brought his words back to her, _Relax. Feel my touch. Don't think about it. This isn't life or death. Just pretend this is one of your dreams, and enjoy_. He was right, this wasn't life or death. But, she wanted it to be. Why? She didn't understand her own principles anymore. Looking back, her eternal conquest to fight him seemed almost irrational. But, she knew that was just her body talking, and would wear off before long._ Just pretend...pretend._ She told herself. _Pretend this is all harmless, pretend there won't be any consequences after. A dream.. Make it a dream. It doesn't matter. Maybe this could be like a dream..._

Jareth's hand stopped massaging her breast to raggedly yank down the cup of her bra, hiking her breast above it. He removed his hand from her, and lightly ran it down her stomach. He took his lips from her neck and moved lower, holding himself just a hair's width above the trussed up and exposed flesh of her rosy pink nipple. She could feel his breath on her, a sharp kind of heat that sent a shiver down her spine. Her skin rippled with goosebumps and her nipples hardened under the tantalization. She was practically quivering under him. But it wasn't him. She didn't view it that way. She forced herself to ignore it, she couldn't endure it otherwise, couldn't enjoy it. No. Jareth was irrelevant. All she knew was darkness and sensation.

He lowered his lips and lightly rolled his tongue around her nipple.

Sarah gasped, the rosy bud hardening further. She began arching this way and that as she tried to escape the intensity of his lips and tongue as they gently suckled at her flesh. His hand traveled downward, and brushed a line along her pubic bone. She felt her muscles tense with the proximity of his hand, and felt the return of the churning tension in the pit of her stomach. He placed two fingers over her clit, and pressed down.

Her mouth dropped open, and she tried not to squirm as his fingers began pushing and twirling down on her. It was such a simple, light touch, but it spurned a feeling deep inside that begged for immediate release. She could feel her body opening, ready, no -wanting to be filled. But it was a plea left unanswered. Jareth kept his fingers on her clit and no where else, while he bit down on and slowly sucked on her breast. He wasn't -wouldn't- touch her anywhere else. She was growing hot with the heat that radiated from her to the blanket and back again. It was driving her crazy, but she wouldn't let herself admit it. She knew how good it felt, knew how much she craved it, but refused to let Jareth know as well. On the inside, she may have been scrambled and scattered, mentally battered by the ongoing struggle for dominance between her conscience and her libido; but on the outside she remained as rigid and indifferent as she could, the only tell to her facade being the subtle jolts that shot through her body and the airy tone of her panting as she struggled to refill her brain's supply of oxygen.

The simple repetition of Jareth's torments dragged on and on, staying constant throughout all of Sarah's reluctant squirming, and driving her higher and higher to the point she loathed to love. She knew this would happen eventually. She knew she couldn't stave him off forever. But, for some reason, she never thought she and Jareth would actually be in this situation. It was surreal, and in fact dreamlike in every sense. For the first time since arriving, she didn't think sex and all it entailed was that horrible. She was honestly enjoying herself, just as he'd said. Was it really nothing but her pride and his arrogance that stopped her from pursuing this on her own? Yes well, that was more than enough.

With all that said, pride and arrogance, it wasn't there anymore. There was nothing between them, aside from her blindfold. And in the back of her mind, behind all the restraint and anxiety, she couldn't help but wonder if this was a glimpse at what things could be like between them. While she couldn't see him, while she was ignoring the very fact that it was he who was doing this to her, she felt unbelievably close to him, and dare she say -intimate? Had she ever been intimate with Jareth before? And true, there was nothing intimate about their current situation, as she was still set on the fact that he was molesting her -whether she secretly enjoyed it or not- , but she couldn't deny the feeling of something deeper.

All this contemplation passed within the few seconds Jareth held Sarah's orgasm on the brink of eruption. She rolled her head back, fed up with so much thinking, and prayed she could just feel the crashing feeling of glorious completion once again.

It seemed like it would never come, like he was purposefully keeping her on the edge, holding her back from falling. Her panting became louder and more irregular, her voice raising several octaves as the feeling burgeoned and intensified deep within her belly. And then finally, she could take no more, filled to the brim with a feeling she thought she knew, a feeling that she had only ever imagined in her deepest darkest dreams. This feeling boiled over, more agonizingly blissful than she could have ever hoped to fathom. He was right. He was right. God damn it, he was right.

She thought she felt herself coming back down, returning to her body, and along with it came an immense feeling of relaxation. She never thought it could be possible, but in that moment of hanging lucidity, she was no longer frustrated, she was no longer angry. In that moment, she truly was caught between a dream and reality. And Jareth...Real or Dream, it didn't matter.

Suddenly, Jareth moved away from her, and pulled the blindfold from her eyes and the whole world came crashing down on her.

"Time's up." He said.

The moment Sarah's eyes breached the barrier of the outside world was like waking from a dream. She was back in her room again, crudely exposed and panting in sweat. Jareth was looming over her, his sneer reduced to a humble curl of the lips. Her eyes met his, and just like that, all the anxiety, shame, and disgust came flooding back like a sea of long lost turmoil. She put all that on hold however, and balanced on one toe along the fence separating the two ways in which she could react right now.

One part of her was outraged. Outraged with herself, embarrassed, and ready to fall apart. The other half however, saw this pivotal moment as a gateway. Something that would turn the course of their relationship. Depending on how each handled this situation could determine whether or not they took a step forward together, and dispersed miles apart. What those actions were that would cement those two paths however, she had no idea.

And so, for the time being, all she could do was stare hopelessly up at Jareth as she waited for some kind of dawning realization.

Jareth reached up, and unclasped her hands, and then leaned back on his heels as he began to turn away from her. Sarah drew her arms to her, and began running circles around her wrists. She tried sitting up, and looked over at the clock, furrowing her brow in confusion when she saw it had paused on three minutes. Her attention shifted however, watching confusedly as Jareth stood from the bed and stepped away.

"You're leaving? But...it hasn't been five minutes." She called out. Jareth turned back, smiling coyly over his shoulder.

"I know." He said. Sarah continued to grow more and more puzzled.

"So, you're what? ...forfeiting then?" She asked, and glared when his smile stretched. "Why?"

"Because this wasn't about winning or losing, Sarah. It was about making a point."

"And what point is that?" She asked.

"That the only one you're really fighting here, is yourself. And, regardless of the way this ends, I will always win." And with that, he was gone.

* * *

Sarah found herself sitting alone on her bed, in a mess of fabric and disappointment. _So he was just...making a point? Playing a game?! Keeping score?!_ She sat, and glared at the spot where Jareth had once been. She didn't know what she would be feeling at this point, didn't know how she would react, but even in her ignorance, she felt as though something wasn't right. She began to stew, dwelling in a shallow pool of disgruntlement as the lingering cloud of her arousal gave way to the voice of reason. What Jareth had done to her... It was wrong, and yet...she would be a liar to say she didn't enjoy it. Towards the end, she actually felt...something. It may have been carnal, and nasty, but it was real. It was...intimate. She thought maybe...maybe. Maybe what? That he felt it too?

But the way Jareth left her just now, left her to face her shame... He had purposefully defiled her, and was gloating about it. He'd done this to her, put her in this position. _All to prove a fucking point?!_ She snarled down at the bed, realizing just how sterile and calculated everything truly was. _ Let's play a game, he said. Of course that's all it was._ How could she think there might have been anything more to it? There was no intimacy, none whatsoever from Jareth. But why did that upset her? Was she expecting it from him? Was she expecting him to care? All he'd done was use her body against her, that was all. She felt like an idiot. Letting herself be fooled by him in more ways than one. The look on his face...that fucking smile. What was she expecting? What was she hoping for? Would she admit that maybe, just maybe, somewhere deep down, she was hoping to see him just as flustered as she was? To see him churning with some unnamed emotion? To see anything that could have fooled her into believing he actually cared?

She shook her head, aggravated beyond all belief, and gathered herself from the bed. Her knees wobbled as she made her way to the bathroom, and she clung the two halves of her shirt closed as she walked.

She shut the door behind her and pulled down the sodden and torn remains of her underwear; then reached for a washcloth so she could clean herself off. She didn't want to admit it, but all Jareth's dirty descriptions of sex were spot on. She could feel the residual fluids of her orgasms dripping down her legs, and she felt uncomfortable with the hot and sticky sweat that plastered her hair and remaining clothing tight to her body.

She wiped herself good and thorough, but it wouldn't stop. She huffed and looked up into the mirror, and almost gasped at the rosy cheeked harlot that met her. She stared, aghast.

Her hair was an utter mess, knotted in mats from all her tossing and turning. Her skin was still heated, and bloomed a bright pink. Her shirt hung open, and was now hanging off one shoulder while her bra had been viciously twisted to one side. She was a mess. A total fucking disaster.

She stared at herself, really stared. What the Hell did he do to her? She roamed her eyes from head to toe in the mirror, and quickly became disgusted. _ I let him do this to me. I let him trick me. I...I let him use me. It was all just a game to him._ Her thoughts began to mumble and echo. She played over every moment of Jareth's _game_, and realized that there wasn't a single moment she wasn't writhing for him. She felt stupid, like a total fool. How could she think she was resisting him? How could she think she could hide? He knew how she felt, and he exploited every ounce of it. It was all a game. Every second of it. She was an idiot to listen to him. Pretend it's a dream...

And then he left. He left her teetering, hanging on the edge and reaching out for him. She was actually reaching out for him and he did nothing. He left her alone, to face her own denial. He made his point, loud and clear. He left her. Alone.

She lowered her head and winced as she gripped the rim of the sink in frustration.

"God damn it, Jareth. You son of a bitch." She whispered under her breath. She was so angry. So angry she'd let him use her like that. So angry she'd given in. It was obvious he didn't care. He'd done this to her, made sure that she would feel this way. He didn't care about how she felt, as long as he got what he wanted... He always got what he wanted.

She took in a deep breath, her hands shaking as she held herself up. She hated him. Absolutely hated him. She hated him, and wished she didn't care enough about him to bother hating him. She let him get to her. She let him worm his way through, when she should have just cut him off from the start. But she couldn't, she couldn't let go. She couldn't hate him, because she still had hope, hope that things weren't as bad as they seemed, hope that there was still a chance to wake up and find out this nightmare had been just that. She hated everything about him, and yet she would never hate _him_. Because he was all she had left. There were moments, moments when she thought it might not be so bad, when she thought everything would be ok. She'd been fighting him for so long. She was exhausted. She hated him, she wanted nothing from him, and yet she expected everything. She wanted everything.

She opened her eyes and looked up at herself once more, disgusted and horrified with the image that met her. She felt despicable, revolted. She shouldn't care. She shouldn't give him that satisfaction. She shouldn't care enough to let him hurt her. She should just turn her back and look away, but she couldn't. She wanted to be happy. She wanted hope. She wanted him. She wanted him so badly it hurt. But he would never give her what she wanted, because in order to do that he would have to lose. He would have to lose, like it was a game. She wanted nothing of him, and everything from him. And she hated it. She hated herself for it. She was weak. She made herself weak. There was no point in having hope, it always brought her pain.

Did he really not care at all? Was he really so cruel? Was she only a challenge to him? Something to dominate and take victory over? Was there really nothing more? How could she let herself be affected so strongly by such a monster?

"I am not a fucking conquest!" She suddenly screamed, and thrashed her arms down at the sink. This was her life. It wasn't a game. Liana told her she to use herself as a weapon. But she wasn't strong enough. If she was gambling with her own body, her own heart and soul, what was Jareth gambling with? The stakes were so much higher for her, and she wasn't ready to make a move. She wanted to give up, call it quits and screw everything. Screw Jareth. Screw this world. Screw this game!

She felt her arms begin to buckle, and lowered her head once more, unable to look at herself any longer. She hated him. Hated him because he didn't care. Hated him because he cared in all the wrong ways. She hated him because she _did_ care. And she hated him because she wanted him to care. She felt so confused, so lost. Alone.

She dropped to her knees, gripping the rim of the sink with her hands, and cried.

* * *

Jareth pranced through his chambers with all the flare of the sun in his step. After all the hectic inconveniences of the day, he felt as though he'd managed to successfully redeem the evening for the better. Things could have ended very badly between he and Sarah. He could have lost his temper, hurt her as she said. But he was proud of the road he'd taken. She'd been denying her desire for him for so long, it was about time to set things straight. She craved his touch like a famine, her body responding to him wildly and passionately. He loved it. Absolutely loved every minute of it. He loved watching her writhe for him, and he loved the satisfaction that came with it as she tried to openly fight against it. He reveled in her denial, and reveled in blowing it clear out of the water.

He had very much wanted to prove a point to her tonight, the point that all ...this... was in fact pointless. He knew how she felt. He knew she lusted for him. Why keep denying it? Why fight? Why spend their time hating each other when they could just as easily love? If they were frustrated, why not exhaust it in ways that would benefit them both?

Well, he was fairly confident he'd found a way to put an end to that little bump in the road once and for all. Of course, he knew she would retaliate tomorrow; be angry with him, attack him in some way. She'd call him a monster and say all kinds of horrible, accusatory things. But he didn't care anymore. Everything was out in the open now. What concern was it of his if she chose to waste her own breath?

He inhaled deeply, savoring the lingering aroma of Sarah's excitement that still clung to him. Gods she had so much passion! He could smell it on her, and practically taste it in the future, how wonderfully delicious it would be. She couldn't keep up this charade forever. She would fall to him. _First her body..._

Thoughts of the future, combined with his almost giddy feeling of victory, had him pondering just how grand life could be once this was all said and done. He would possess every part of her. He would own her body, her mind and soul. She_ would_ love him one day. He could feel it. And he couldn't wait, not just for the sake of his plan, but because he truly believed he and Sarah could live happily ever after. He wanted so much. He wanted to give her so much. He wanted to lay the world at her feet if she would only smile in return. _Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want. I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave._ He didn't think he couldn't have made it any more clear to her back then. Nothing had changed. If anything, it only became more true. He meant what he said, and he still did. He was still waiting, waiting for her to realize what he meant, to realize that, in his own way, he was hopelessly in love with her. (_That_ was why he couldn't kill her, why he was marrying her instead.) It was so simple...and yet so difficult. She just didn't understand. She didn't understand what it meant to be loved by him... And he was man enough to realize that she didn't even view it as such. She still dwelled on the romances of dreams and fairytales, and this was no fairytale. It pained him, but she needed to accept this as a reality before she could ever hope to fathom the depth of his feeling for her. Real feeling, real love, it wasn't easy, it wasn't pretty, it wasn't breathless or fluid. It was merciless, distraught and unwavering. That was their reality. And that was the way her loved her. That was what separated himself from her dream incarnations. He was real, his feelings were real. But it seemed every time he had the chance to tell her this, something went horribly wrong, and everything, all of it, was lost in translation, misunderstood by differing modes of expression, and ripped to shreds in the crossfire.

This feeling of nostalgia, and flighty melancholy only made him more optimistic for the future. He loved her fiery spirit. He loved her sharp temper and the heated look in her eye. Even when he thought he was going mad with rage, he loved every minute of it. It invigorated him, not fighting with someone, but fighting for someone. She pushed him, and he pushed her back. He'd never cared enough to put forth the effort before. With that said, he saw this night as a victory. As a stepping stone. Just one more inch closer to the day she would let him rule her, let him love her.

He tried, and failed, to ignore all this however. He had a mission, a goal in mind. And he needed to keep focus on that and that alone. Entertaining the illusions of his own feelings would only cloud things. No...that could all wait. All that, all those possibilities, were set in the future, set for a time where securing their happiness would be his number one goal. That couldn't be so right now. He already had a number one goal -take back his power. He'd told himself this countless times. But as the days slowly passed, as he slowly began to know this girl, this horrible, vile, vexation of a woman, he found one goal start to outweigh the other. He found himself forgetting, forgetting there was a reason she was with him in the first place. When he was with her, everything else just seemed to vanish, lost in a cloud of unbridled frustration. And the more he experienced this agony, the more he craved it, the more he wanted to be consumed by it, the more he wanted to fight for it, to be lost to it.

He was too distracted to notice the pale glowing butterfly that fluttered in through the window. It glided by, in front of his face, calling his attention. Jareth peered up, curious and wary as he watched it. _What is she doing here now?_ He asked himself.

He and Liana were still on rather poor terms with one another. After their big blow out, and the destruction of the Labyrinth, Liana had tactfully stayed away in order to collect herself and let the situation settle. But she was here now, and in her more _peaceful_ form at that. He turned his head to follow the ghostly creature as it swooped this way and that. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for her to do something.

"What do you want?" He snarled, not quite ready to let his good mood be spoiled. There was no answer from the apparitional insect as it glided across the room. Jareth kept close eye on her, becoming more and more on guard with the unease of her silent presence.

The butterfly continued to flutter it's wings in a lagging haze that hummed through the air in graceful wisps. It fluttered farther and farther away from Jareth, until it landed on the door. Jareth's narrowed eyes turned into a glare as he slowly pieced together what Liana's purpose was. There were two doors in Jareth's room. One led to the hall, and one led to Sarah. The butterfly crawled along the door of the later, seeming to be waiting for something.

Jareth twitched, second guessing the impulse to approach. What was she doing here? Being so ominous? It obviously had something to do with Sarah. Cautiously, he took a step in the direction of the door.

Liana's wings started to flutter once Jareth came near. Her wings folded, and her body churned. She glowed brighter, and brighter as she made the transformation from butterfly to rose. Her light dimmed, until all that was left was the golden sparkle of the rose vines that were steadily growing and entwining with the surface of the door.

Jareth...didn't understand. What was she getting at? Why not just tell him? He figured she was trying to get him to go back to Sarah. But why? Why would she try to bring him to her? Liana's actions were wild and radical, and he didn't trust her for a minute.

He stood there for another minute or two, waiting, but nothing happened. At first, he refused to follow her, thinking it may be some kind of ploy. But, after only a moment or so, his sense of curiosity started to get the better of him. He took hold of the handle of the door, and pushed it open.

* * *

Sarah had sat on the bathroom floor for what she considered to be a pitifully lengthy amount of time, and after picking herself up, was only able to migrate to the window, where she slowly sank to the floor in a cocoon of her own revolt. She hadn't bothered to dress herself. Hadn't bothered to brush her hair or take a bath. It didn't matter. It didn't matter how well she erased her and Jareth's actions, if she couldn't erase her troubles as well. In the beginning, she hated that she was crying. That she was weak enough to break down because of him. But her tears weren't woeful and full of self pity. No, they were tears of frustration, which mostly consisted of hiccups and dry sobs. She sat with her arms wrapped around her shins, and buried her face in her knees.

She was so distracted, she almost didn't feel the tickle on her arm as something started crawling along it. She looked up, and saw that a pale, almost iridescent, butterfly had landed on her. She tilted her head, and tried to smile at it, before giving up. She sniffled and lowered her head back into herself. Why were there so many butterflies?

* * *

Jareth paced warily down the dark hall leading back to Sarah's room. His thoughts grew sharper and sharper with each step. Something wasn't right. _Why would the Labyrinth be directing me towards Sarah? Hasn't she been trying to deter me from the beginning? _ He thought, and gently eased open the door leading into Sarah's room, cautious of what might meet him.

He stepped across the threshold, and looked around the room. It was quiet, eerily so. As his eyes scanned over the scenery, they landed on a crumpled heap of tattered cloth and long dark brown hair. Reflexively, Jareth stopped dead in his tracks, not expecting what he saw. He narrowed his eyes, and looked her over once more.

She was sitting on the floor, under the window, clinging to herself as she quietly sobbed. She hadn't heard him enter, she was oblivious. He drew his brow then. _What? Why is she crying? _ He wondered. His brow twitched when catching the flutter of wings as Liana flew from Sarah's arm and glided her way towards him. _Still think you're trying to help her? My King._ The deep echo of Liana's voice rang through the dead hollow of his thoughts. His ears twitched, but he soon realized she was speaking only for him. Sarah was still completely unaware of either of their presences. Jareth scowled, drawing his eyes on the butterfly as it fluttered and twirled about him. _Why have you lead me here?_ His thoughts answered. Liana seemed to pause in her flight, but only as to change direction and began hovering towards the window.

He followed her, quiet as can be, until he was standing only a few feet away from Sarah. She hadn't changed her clothing since he'd left... He wondered... He shook his head and glared up at the butterfly. _ We're even now._ She echoed, and no sooner fled out the window.

It took a minute for him to catch on, but suddenly, things started clicking in the back of his mind. He looked down to Sarah, then out the window once more. _So that's it then?_ He wondered, just now understanding Liana's purpose. Sarah was upset. And instead of dealing with it herself, she was offering him the chance to take care of it instead, in an effort to make up for her previous fault. His mouth formed a thin line as he glanced back down to Sarah, who was so lost in her own thoughts that she still hadn't noticed him standing right next to her. He hunkered down, and wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her up against his chest.

Sarah jumped at the surprise sensation of being engulfed. But she registered it was Jareth in an instant, and in her spite, tried jerking away from him. He sat on the floor next to her, and held her tighter, refusing to let go. She grunted, exasperatingly, and continued to struggle; only, as she squirmed, she was, in some backhanded effort, actually trying to turn herself towards him. She winced and whimpered before thrusting her face into his chest.

Jareth...didn't quite know what to do. For one, he had absolutely no idea why she was so upset. Hadn't she been enjoying their little game? She'd orgasmed twice! And she'd gotten her wish of getting rid of him! So why was she upset? And secondly, he couldn't quite grasp the fact that she wasn't fighting to get away from him now. What happened in the ten minutes he was away?

Her hands reached up and gripped the collar of his shirt as she nuzzled into him. She was shaking, her legs fidgeting under her as if holding back an excessive amount of energy that she didn't know what to do with. She was holding onto him, clinging desperately. And she shook her head from side to side, as if telling herself she would cry no more, but only caused herself to shed even more tears. He kept his arms around her, not sure what else to do.

"Sarah, why are you crying?" He asked. He felt a tremor shoot through her then, and she starting pulling on him haggardly, clawing for him as if she were being dragged away. Suddenly, she clenched her eyes shut and pressed the side of her face hard into his heart, and wrapped her arms around his torso as she hugged him for dear life. He felt himself tighten his grip on her, but only grew more and more perplexed. "Sarah? What's wrong?" He asked, with a sense of confused compassion that only made her cry harder. She started shaking her head viciously from side to side, pursing her lips to hold back a sob.

"You are such an asshole." She cried out, and with it came the cascade of tears and pity she'd been working so hard to keep in. She gripped him through the fabric of his shirt, holding onto him as she let herself go. She was shaking in his arms, and while normally, he would have made some rebut against her comment, it no longer seemed important. He tightened his arms around her, squeezing her to him, and kissed the top of her head.

Sarah cried with self-loathing, and shook with frustration as she sought out comfort from the one person who could reduce her to this very state. She didn't know why, but she was glad he came back. Why did he come back? It didn't matter. It didn't matter, because he was here now. She wasn't alone anymore.

She hugged him for all she was worth, letting out every ounce of torment and turmoil she had in her. It was as if everything, absolutely everything had been playing up to this moment. All her anger and confusion, her shame and animosity, it had all combined into one emotion, but she had no idea what it was. She hated him so much right now. She'd never hated him more. And yet, she clung to him, pleaded for him. She needed him. She needed him to hold her, to touch her. She needed to know that she wasn't alone. He was her rock, her constant. And so she clung to him, hating him just as much as she loved him. After all, he was all she had left.

* * *

**A/N - Whew! It's finally over. So...things are a little complicated, but I'll leave it to you to figure it all out on your own. I hope you enjoyed this, but regardless, I'd love to know what you think of it so far. I am, undoubtedly, a proud and self-proclaimed review whore. My next update will be for Dreams and Broken Things as it is, if you haven't already figured, drawing to a close. Once again, thanks for reading. See you next time! **

**-FGBX**


	11. Pawn To H4

**A/N- Ok...I am sorry. It's been like...2 months. I don't know what happened...so I'll use the scape-goat of projects and final exams as an excuse (which may be true...but I still feel bad for keeping you all waiting). Well, we've got part 1 and 2 again; hope the length helps make up for it. Enjoy. =]**

* * *

Chapter 10, Pawn To H4

* * *

The day was in full bloom; Goblins scurried and scuttled and bounced and bumbled about the throne room, hanging from walls and whirling in drunken stupors as they began to litter the floor. It was loud, messy, and riddled with discourse. Everything was as usual, caught in a self-sustaining state of chaotic disarray; and Roldan was questioning whether or not he had ever been more frustrated.

Never, when embarking on the journey north for the quarterly review, did he expect to return to such a state of affair. Never did he anticipate or even toy with a scenario such as this. Marriage? No, marriage was not the surprise here. It wasn't even that she was mortal. What was surprising, was the timing. Who was this girl? How did this situation come to be? He'd been gone for one week. One week during which Jareth had acquired a bride -a primitive, crude, ignorant child at that. How? What? How could he possibly fathom? Why had Jareth chosen her? How did this come about? How could he- she was nothing close to Queen material. And Jareth...no. This just didn't make any sense. The women Jareth surrounded himself with were proper, respectful, and sophisticated. How could he put up with this...this...ruffian of a woman for one minute- let alone a lifetime? Did he have any idea what he was getting himself into? Was it sheer desire that spurred this? Was he simply blinded by her...by her...her what? What was there to blind him with? Her resilience? Her disrespect? Her sheer bullheadedness? And why marry her? Take her as a concubine, sure; but was marriage really necessary? Jareth was one for a good challenge, and breaking this girl into saddle was sure to be a challenge indeed...but regardless. And it happened so quickly. Why was he not informed? Or at the very least, why did he have absolutely no clue that such a thing was even on Jareth's mind? Was he under some kind of spell? There was nothing rational about this situation. Jareth must be mad. He must have been out of his mind.

He began pacing the small spot allotted him from within the barrage of Goblins, snarling at the dirt smeared floor.

There was so much that needed explaining. So many questions and answers. And what was worse, what only added to the confusion, was the way Jareth had stood him up last night. He had been expecting the King's council that evening. It was a given, and yet, as the hours of night began to stretch, as he tapped his foot in the solitude of the library, Roldan realized, by the dwindling light of the fire, that Jareth would not be coming. What was he doing? Was he consciously standing him up? Or had something happened? Jareth wasn't the flighty type. He wouldn't have simply forgotten. But, he wasn't the one to shake off an appointment either, especially one that he had called for in the first place -one so important. And so he had waited, begrudgingly yet patiently, for the conversation that never happened.

Now it was morning. Morning? Ha! No, morning had come and gone long ago. He looked over to the clock hanging on the wall; its dagger hands pointing 11:45. He'd been waiting here for hours. Where the Hell was Jareth? He and Jareth always reported to the throne room at the first crack of dawn. His absence now, with everything that was going on, was nothing less than strange. Was it connected to his absence last night? There was a small string of worry on this train of thought worming through his mind, but he refused to let it breech the light of day. There was no reason to worry. Absolutely no reason to question. What could have happened since he escorted the girl to her chamber? Nothing. There was no reason Jareth shouldn't be here, no reason he should be 5 hours late. He scowled harder at the stone tiles, trying his best to block out the jitter and blunder of Goblins wreaking havoc in the background. _No reason. Absolutely no reason. _ He grumbled to himself over and over. Davion had come and gone. The girl was arrested in her chambers. What could be the hold up? He didn't understand. And yet, he was still alone, still pacing aimlessly about the throne room.

During his brooding, he allowed himself to entertain the thought of going in search of him, but dismissed the idea right quick. Such action was unacceptable. He was not, under any circumstances, allowed to disturb the King in his private chambers. He was not allowed to call upon the King himself unless it was an absolute emergency, and impatience...was not classified as an emergency. No, there was nothing he could do but wait. And so he did.

Back and forth. Back and forth he paced. He was surrounded by lively, vivid beings, and yet he was completely alone. The weight of his mind and irritation began to consume him. Back and forth. Back and forth.

The walls were starting to close in. The chatter grew louder and louder. The air became dense. Minutes became hours. He stopped pacing, needing to compose himself before his mind snapped. He brought a hand to his temples and winced as he let out a long breath. He stood silent for a moment, and that was when he realized the boisterous chatter around him had settled to a tranquil hum. He looked up, and saw Jareth trudging his way through the doorway.

He straightened his back, his gaze perking up, all of his frustration and exasperation evaporating into nothing at the sight of him. He took a step back and waited with attentive eyes as Jareth wordlessly stalked past and lowered himself into his throne. He waited, not knowing what for, but expectant all the same. He was met with silence and a strange aura as he watched his King sink to a puddle in his chair. Roldan twisted his brow then. Something wasn't right. This silence- it was tangible, and heavy with some dark thought. He lowered his eyes over Jareth and began analyzing his posture.

He was slouched in his usual position, but his gaze was cast to the floor. He was lax, and yet the sternness of his expression gave tell as to the incredible tension that was in fact holding together his languid facade. His eyes were hooded, but the shade did nothing to hide the roaring blaze that burgeoned behind it. Roldan became worried then. Jareth wasn't happy. Something was wrong.

"Well? Out with it." Jareth snapped, the sting of his voice cutting through the silence like a rusted blade.

"Out with what? Your Majesty." Roldan countered. He expected another snap just then, a more concrete display of anger, but all he was met with was a low exhale and a slight sag of the shoulder.

"Everything you're trying to keep from shouting out at me from behind that scowl of yours." He answered. Roldan stood a little straighter.

"Do you want my general disgruntlement? Or something specific?" Jareth slowly rose his eyes to Roldan, a heavy blackness bubbling from his gaze.

"I know how much you favor the blade you call a tongue, but I will forewarn you now, I am not in the mood." Jareth said, while bringing a hand up to rub his forehead.

"You look tired, Majesty." Roldan observed, after catching a better glimpse of the dark hood that glazed the King's eyes.

"Among other things." Jareth mumbled, effectively communicating his impatience with their conversation. Roldan rose his shoulders a bit and cut to the point.

"I awaited you last night. As you are aware, you didn't show. I find myself wondering the reason. Did something happen?" He asked, and watched as Jareth dragged his hand like a claw down the front of his face.

"You could say that."

"Nothing serious? You look exhausted." He said, wondering if perhaps there was a matter with the kingdom that had called away his attention. There weren't very many other explanations as to a King's absence.

"No."

"Then where-" He started, then stopped at the way Jareth began to shift in his chair, uncomfortably it seemed.

"I spent the night with Sarah." He said, as he settled into a new position. Roldan rose a brow, an expression that, luckily, was missed by his distracted King.

"Right, well...I've since been awaiting you. It's getting rather late, might I ask-"

"I spent the morning with her too." Jareth interjected, anticipating his question, and rightfully shutting Roldan's open mouth.

Jareth slumped his shoulders and looked away, whatever Roldan said next fading into the background as he recalled, in that brief moment, the morning in question.

* * *

Jareth held Sarah into him as she continued to shake and cry well into the night. He didn't say anything, didn't interrupt her once. For one, he didn't know what he could or should possibly say to her, and two, he was simply enjoying the warmth of having his arms around her and hers around him. He didn't know how long they stayed like that beneath the windowsill, but eventually, her sobs softened, her tremors faded, and her breathing grew more shallow. They sat there, dead quiet, but he knew she was wide awake. She still clung to the collar of his shirt, and her body still tensed against him. He looked down to her from time to time, but could only shy away from the sense of cold distain that radiated at him. He observed this as _at_ him, rather than _to_ him, acknowledging the difference and took it as a hint not to prod. She sought comfort, but nothing else. And she was ashamed for it. And so while she clung to the folds of his shirt, she hid herself beneath his gaze, not wanting, not willing, to admit let alone accept that she was weak enough to fall before him, to fall into him. He did not deserve that level of satisfaction -but he took it all the same.

And for the moment, that was all he could ask for. She was in his arms, after all; how foolish would it be to even risk disturbing this blissful state of melancholy?

It wasn't long until she fell asleep, dead to the world as the wear and tear drained the remaining sparks of her consciousness. And still he didn't move. In fact, he held her tighter, her limp body slipping through his arms. What in the world had happened? Why was she so upset? He still had absolutely no idea. She'd been angry earlier but...wasn't she always angry? They'd been having fun... He KNEW that she enjoyed it. Her body craved his touch. She writhed and moaned -had he been imagining things? She was trying so hard to ignore it... Why was she crying?

At one point, he found himself gathering Sarah in his arms as he stood, and carried her over to the tussled mess of her bed. He undressed her, just as before; but this time, he was no longer cautious about removing her apparel. He felt less hesitant...and if he were at liberty, he would dare say, closer to her now. He redressed her, and covered her lightly. His initial reaction was to walk away, but he didn't -he never did. He felt...odd. Liana had given him this opportunity, and he needed to take full advantage of it. He sighed and scowled and growled as he stared at her. Everything about her was so exhausting. Why was nothing ever easy? Why couldn't she just smile without burning everything around her to the ground? He shifted her further over on the bed, and crawled in next to her.

He laid next to her, practically sitting upright against the headboard. He looked down, and ran a hand through her hair. She was facing towards him, and shifted at the feeling of his fingers grazing along her scalp. A hood began to lower over his eyes, as he resolved to simply drape his arm around her and turned his gaze to stare out over the room. Why was he still there? He should leave...

He felt Sarah start to wriggle, and looked down out of the corner of his eye. She had moved up against him, her arm starting to crawl over his waist as her head settled on his ribcage. Normally, he would have thought nothing of this. The nights -mornings- he'd come and invaded her dreams, she'd snuggled up against him in the exact same way. She'd even started grinding on him once. But the way he looked at her, the way she felt against him, the way her tear sodden face glistened and her red nose crinkled up at him brought about a sudden heat in his chest. He shifted down a little, and tightened the arm already around her, pulling her up to him. He held her there, savoring her warmth, not caring if his grip was just a little too tight.

He could feel her breathing through the steady rise and fall of her shoulders and closed his eyes in an effort to match it. But it was useless. There was too much on his mind. And so he laid there, staring at nothing and thinking of everything, until the first rays of dawn breached the twilight of the horizon.

Dawn crept in, and before he knew it the sun hung large and burned bright in the morning sky. His attention wandered to it briefly, and he remembered he was supposed to meet with Roldan the night before, and that soon, he would have to report to him in the throne room. But those thoughts were fleeting. Unimportant. He looked down, Sarah was still snuggled against him. He sighed, his fingers tightening on the fabric of her gown.

Sarah sighed, and nuzzled her face into Jareth's side. She began to stir, and worried her brow before slowly drawing back the shades of her eyelids. She blinked, slowly; the light from the window making her vision blurry. She closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath, before trying to open them again and bringing the world into better focus. Her eyes slowly began to roam, but she soon found that was all she could do. She felt hot. Her head was heavy and churned with the wistful pressure of a lingering headache. Half-heartedly, she tried to move, but her body remained stiff, as if lagging, struggling to catch up to her mental state of awareness. She gave in to simply lay there for a minute or two. She was still so tired...

After a few minutes, she began to come back to herself. Her eyes ran down the front of Jareth's torso, aware that she was once again pressed up against him. She didn't react right away, however. She didn't jump, or lurch away. She just laid there, totally blank. She felt her fingers begin to twitch and noticed then that her arm was draped over his waist. His hand held hers, and his thumb gently stroked her palm. She pulled her hand from his and tried moving away.

The arm around her back locked in a vice, refusing her the smallest reprieve. The sharp twitch of his arm defeated her instantly, still too tired to put forth any real effort against it. She pulled her arms into herself instead, using them as a barrier between her and the warmth of his chest. Her eyes flickered about what little of the room she could see. Her head felt so hazy...what time was it?

She slowly began to realize just how odd she felt. She knew Jareth was there. She could feel his arms around her. Why wasn't she reacting? It was like everything was moving in slow motion. It...it was morning. Wha-what happened? She tried to think, but it was strenuous. She...she couldn't remember. She thought back. She remembered...she remembered being angry. She remembered crying; remembered how upset she was. She remembered Jareth. She remembered sitting under the window...then things...started to go black. She couldn't remember what happened next. She was so tired...she'd never felt so tired before. She remembered crying. His arms around her. How did she get in bed? Was it just a dream? No. But why?...why did she feel so loopy? Somewhere along the line, she realized how quiet they both were.

"What time is it?" She murmured, feeling a sense of detachment to her own voice as it faded into the mist surrounding her.

"Ten thirty."

Her eyes lowered, as if the sound of their voices were just two small drops in a sea of silence. She felt herself start to drift through that sea...farther and farther away.

"When did you get here?" She asked. She could feel his chest expand beneath her with each breath.

"I never left." He said.

"You slept here then? With me?"

"No." She frowned at the coldness of his voice, but was too afraid to look up to him. Afraid? No...that wasn't the right word. She was reluctant...or _content_...just as she was. She felt his fingers gently stroke along her shoulder.

"Why didn't you leave?" She asked, and was only answered by the echo of her own voice. She felt a ripple then, a slight twinge in the sea around them, sending her further adrift. His silence put miles between them, but she didn't mind. She even began to close her eyes, everything felt so heavy...

"How did you sleep?" He asked; and if she had the energy, she would have been caught off guard. She thought a moment. How did she sleep? Like a dead weight. Hmm, good analogy...maybe that's why she felt so stiff...

"Heavy." She answered, though her thoughts continued to ramble through the silence. She thought over the state of her slumber, giving it more consideration than she thought was really necessary. It was solid, total blackness. Blackness? Why did that stand out to her? There was nothing... "I didn't have any dreams...at least... none I remember." She slowly added, her voice thick with the undertone of accusation. What she meant to say was, _you weren't romping around in my subconscious last night, at least, I don't remember._

Jareth remained stiff and silent for a moment.

"That's because I took them away." He said. Sarah felt her head twitch, in a slight effort to glance up at him, but it was unsuccessful.

"Why?"

"...I thought you could do with a solid night's rest." He said. Sarah's eyes lowered. She didn't answer. What could she really say? She could lecture him about not messing with her dreams_ period_, whether it be tampering or simply blotting them out; but she didn't have it in her. And besides, part of her was actually thankful she hadn't dreamed; she didn't think she could handle another round with Dream Jareth, or Real Jareth, or anything involving dreams or her brain or truth or secret revelations -given the course and context of which she'd been experiencing throughout the past week. No...he was actually right this time. A dreamless sleep was something she'd been needing. The silence began to burgeon again, and with it, she felt the tide of her sea start to creep in from the corners of her hazy state of consciousness.

"Sarah-" He interjected, finally, and all of the sudden, her vast sea was no more than a puddle. Her eyes slowly opened, just barely. "Why were you crying?" He asked.

"Why did you come back?" She countered. Jareth took in a sharp breath before responding, deciding how, and what he wanted to say. He struggled for a moment...his hand fidgeting against the fabric of her night gown.

"...Something...told me I should." He managed to say.

"Well...there you go." She said. Jareth drew his brow down on her. He knew she wouldn't just admit what was wrong. He knew that whatever it was, it caused her more shame than pain; perhaps her pain came from that shame. And he knew he wouldn't get anything concrete out of her unless he forced it out... He was tired of forcing her.

"I don't understand..."

"No. You wouldn't."

"Then help me to-"

"I don't think that's possible." She snapped, suddenly. Her voice was lower now, laced with the first signs of animosity.

"Sarah-" He started to say, just as she tried jerking away from him again. He flexed his arm, keeping her firmly rooted in her spot.

"What do you want me to say, Jareth? If you can't possibly fathom why I was upset after you molested me on your own, then I don't think there's anything I could say to make it any more clear for you." She snapped.

"What-"

"You MOLESTED me. Do you know what that means?" She snapped again, refusing to let him finish a sentence.

"Sarah- you agreed to the game. You knew the rules." She started shaking her head, subtly.

"As if that means I actually had any choice in the matter."

"Everything is a choice." Jareth's voice was suddenly louder, more firm. She pursed her lips, holding in some rash outburst or another. "You could have told me to stop." He added, in a much softer tone.

"If I said anything I would have lost. And you would have done _whatever you wanted until the sun came up_, if I'm remembering correctly."

"Did I say what it was I wanted to do should you have lost? Or were you making more assumptions?" He asked, rhetorically it seemed. Sarah began to scowl. No. He was not going to turn this on her.

"It doesn't matter. If I spoke up, I would have lost. If I told you to stop, you wouldn't have."

"And you know this how, exactly?"

"Because you're a deviant. A cheat. You twist and trick and manipulate everything. You're selfish and self-absorbed, and highhanded. You wanted me to cave, and I wouldn't."

"So you were more concerned over winning a game than your own consent or well being?"

"I should be asking that question."

"I told you, it wasn't about winning or losing. Your consent was all that mattered to me."

"Seriously? You really think you had my consent?"

"Didn't I? You never once said otherwise."

"I would have lost!"

"The game?"

"This isn't a game."

"Isn't it?"

"You violated me against my will. Don't try to spin it around."

"You could have told me to stop."

"For the hundredth time, I would have-"

"If you were truly against what was happening it wouldn't have mattered whether or not you lost." He snapped, but it was closer to a bark. "If you didn't want me touching you, nothing else would have mattered. You would have fought. You would have screamed your head off. You would have told me enough, to get off of you, to stop. But, you didn't. You didn't say a word. I am not an idiot, Sarah. Don't try to argue that your pride supersedes your survival instinct." He spoke fast and harsh, his grip on her tightening subconsciously. She shrunk down to the size of an ant, and huddled into herself, surprised to find herself on the brink of tears once more.

He felt her start to tremble, and sighed.

"I told you...it wasn't about winning. It was always, will always be about _you_, your consent, your pleasure. All you had to do was say no. That's all you had to do...otherwise, what would be the point?"

"You were doing it to punish me."

"That's what you think?" He asked, sounding suddenly incredulous. "Why would I torture you with sex?" He asked. Sarah's brow rose to great heights at that. _Really? REALLY?_ "Why would I try to deter you away from pleasure? Where is the benefit in that?"

"You've been tormenting me since I got here-"

"There is a difference between torment and torture. Especially where this is concerned. I told you...last night. It wasn't meant to punish you. It was a release...a way to relax. It was meant to make you feel good." He said, and peered down when she remained silent. "And you did feel good, didn't you?" She refused to answer.

"You can't twist this on me. I won't let you. What you did to me was wrong."

"And you loved every minute of it." He said, and waited a beat before continuing. "So, I'll ask again: why were you crying?"

Sarah felt her whole body begin to tense as she tried to curl into a ball and shy away from him. He really didn't get it, did he? He really didn't understand what was so wrong about all this? She winced, growing incredibly frustrated with the way he held her to him and refused to let go.

"I...I don't want to tell you." She said. Jareth's brow started to rise, not expecting her answer. "I'm not going to bother coming up with a lie. So instead, I'm going to try being mature by simply being honest and telling you that I don't want to answer. And I would like it if you honored that." She said. Jareth frowned. She was still writhing in shame. What happened that was so horrible?

"I apologize."

Sarah's eyes snapped open.

"What?"

"I -apologize."

"And what are you apologizing for?"

"It was not my intention to upset you."

"So, you're not apologizing for manipulating and molesting me, only that I got upset afterwards?" She asked, with a sardonic hiss. Jareth remained silent. "You do realize there is a difference between apologizing and saying you're sorry, right?" She added.

"What do you mean?"

"Saying that you apologize is describing an action. Saying you're sorry implies you actually feel some kind of remorse for what you did. So, which is it? Are you sorry? Or are you simply spitting dialogue at me?" Jareth narrowed his eyes at her attitude.

"I am not sorry for pleasuring you." He said, explicitly omitting the word _molest_ for _pleasure_. That term was starting to bug him. Sarah felt herself sink further into the sheets. "However-" He started up again, "I am sorry for upsetting you. I am sorry I made you cry. And I am sorry for whatever it is you don't want to tell me." He said, and Sarah grimaced into his shirt as she fought off any remaining pangs of turmoil rolling over from the previous night. Would she ever be able to admit it wasn't his touching her that upset her so? No. Better to just move on from the subject...

"You didn't leave after I fell asleep." She murmured, sounding distracted and oh so far away. The tension in Jareth's shoulders began to ease. This conversation was progressing so nicely...

"I wanted to stay with you. I will not leave you while you're upset." He said, and Sarah couldn't help but recall all the other times he'd said that to her, and how much she hated it. Her legs began to fidget uncomfortably beneath the blanket.

"...Thank you." She said, not quite sure why she was thanking him, nor of how he would take it. He didn't say anything. They laid there for a moment or two, and she was surprised when his hand then reached up and cupped the side of her head, and still even more surprised when he leaned down and planted a lingering kiss on the top of her head. His fingers dug into her hair, and he sighed, the warm air of his breath sending a tingle over her scalp, and snaked his arm out from under her as he moved to stand from the bed. Sarah almost flopped into the mattress with the absence of his torso beneath her. She sat up, and watched as he walked away.

"Where are you going?" She asked. He turned back to look at her.

"It's getting late, and I have much to catch up on." He said. Sarah's gaze wandered towards the clock. It was somewhere around 11:30. Her attention was called away when he started talking again. "And Sarah, when you're ready, I'd like you to present yourself in the west drawing room. Do you remember where that is?" He asked. Sarah furrowed her brow a bit. Umm..

"Uhh...yea, I think so. Why?" She asked.

"If you recall, I believe we decided you would start your lessons today." He said, in as passive a tone as possible.

"Oh..." She murmured, lowering her gaze to her lap.

"When you're ready." He said, and turned to walk away.

* * *

"Jareth?"

Jareth peered up, the finger tapping against his lips coming to a reluctant halt.

"Have you been listening to a single word I've said?"

He rose a brow then, his eyes widening along the way; and if he were anyone but Jareth, his look would have been classified as innocently surprised. He shifted around in his throne, the clatter and dust of the room coming back to reality. He glanced around, still having one foot in a memory; it took him a minute to realize Roldan was scowling at him.

"What is going on?"

"Excuse me?" Jareth asked. Roldan almost snarled.

"Look at yourself. Flustered and out of focus. It's because of this woman of yours, isn't it?" He began to lecture. Jareth leaned forward in his seat, stretching in what little room he had, and glared at the floor. What he wouldn't do to just close his eyes...

"Her name is Sarah." He rumbled.

"My apologies, Majesty. Perhaps now would be a good time to tell me all about her?" Roldan asked, sharp and sardonically. Jareth's glare continued to harden.

"Yes...I agree that a discussion on the matter is much needed." He said, slowly raising his eyes to his comrade.

"Well, who is she?"

Jareth placed both hands on either arm of his throne as if about to stand, and glared from one end of the room to the other.

"Get out." He commanded, shooting daggers at his subjects as they dashed and bumbled out of his sight. It took a minute, but soon the room was vacant, and blissfully quiet. Roldan actually let out a long breath, feeling an ease of claustrophobia being lifted from his shoulders. He waited for Jareth's signal. "As you may have gathered, she is mortal."

"Yes, I have. I have also gathered that she is not here of her own will." He narrowed his eyes when Jareth flashed a smirk, though it wasn't for him; he didn't understand what was so funny.

"Is it that obvious?" Jareth responded, his small smirk starting to stretch with exasperation.

"Obvious? It's ludicrous. She's intolerable, unkempt, crude-"

"You gathered all that from one encounter?" Jareth interrupted. Roldan huffed, quickly becoming irritated that he wasn't taking this seriously.

"You took her from the Aboveground, you're forcing her to marry you-"

"Do you have a problem with that?" There was a dangerous snap with Jareth's interjection, and he glared up to his friend with warning. Roldan narrowed his eyes in return.

"No. Not at all. Do what you may. May I only point out the irony. If you were going to take someone, why didn't you choose one just a twinge more willing?" He asked. Jareth wanted to roll his eyes. He was starting to sound an awful lot like Davion. He contemplated simply getting up and leaving. He was not in the mood to deal with Roldan's inquisition right now.

"You really need to ask that?" He countered.

"Yes, yes, you want what you want. My only question is, why? What could have possibly possessed you to commit yourself to such a..."

"A what?" Jareth challenged, with a dark note on his tongue that had Roldan reconsidering his original phrase.

"A brat." He said. Jareth chuckled softly, and leaned back in his throne.

"She may be a little rough around the edges..."

"Rough around the edges? How is it you tolerate her behavior?" He asked, incredulously.

"I find it rather charming, actually."

"Oh, please. Since when are you one to take such slander?" He asked, with a roll of the eye and a shake of the head.

"Ah, but there are two sides to every coin." Jareth said. Roldan started to pace.

"This isn't one of your games, Jareth. This is a serious matter. You may think breaking her in is good sport, but-"

"I understand the implications of my actions, Roldan. I am not naive."

"No, My King, you are rash and impulsive and-"

"Enough of that."

"As your advisor, I am telling you that woman is not, will not, and can not be Queen material. At least, not in the time allotted before for your marriage. She is too defiant, too ignorant." Roldan's pacing started to quicken. He couldn't believe how brash Jareth had been in this. How? At least hold off on announcing a marriage until she was ready. One month? Less? There was no way she would be able to present herself, especially if she was so against being in this situation in the first place...ridiculous.

"You don't know anything about her."

"Then enlighten me, please. I implore you. What is it about this creature that has completely warped all sense of reason in you?" He asked, both sincerely and exasperatedly. Jareth straightened a bit in his seat.

"Would you call me a fool if I said I've fallen madly in love with her?" Jareth asked, teasingly. Roldan pursed his lips.

"Yes. I would also call you a liar." He said. Jareth rose a brow at him. "I see no reason, logical or not, that could explain this situation. Sophora, _she _was acceptable. Tiana? Melanie? They were appropriate molds. And Aurelia? Now she was perfect -Gods be blessed. But this human...what could you possibly see-"

"Perhaps I don't want one of your cookie-cutter brides. Is that theory so ludicrous?" Jareth spoke, low and pouting-like. Roldan grunted.

"So this is just another stunt of yours then? Going against convention and whatnot?"

"No. This is not a stunt. And to be honest, your insults are starting to wear thin. I have never put more thought into any other decision. I have never been more sure of something. I understand that you two got off to a foul start, but one would think you would have enough faith in my intelligence to trust in what I am doing." Jareth began to lecture, his posture becoming more and more domineering as he spoke. Roldan stopped his pacing.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to offend you." He said.

"I understand this is a shock for you, especially given Sarah's disposition."

"At least give me something to work with. Why did you choose her? Why her of all beings? She has no stature...no merit...she isn't submissive in any sense. She lacks class, culture..."

"I have amassed a position that warrants me the freedom to marry at my discretion. I don't need any more prestige or stature. I don't need family connections. What she lacks in sophistication, she makes up for in passion. She is more devoted to my subjects than any woman I've ever thought of courting. She has a wit and a fire that rivals my own. She is crude and defiant, high-strung and bullheaded. She is the perfect challenge. And I love her deeply." He said, with a cheerful perk in his voice as if he'd uttered the same sentiment a hundred times over.

"Love? Please."

"You find that funny?" Jareth asked.

"A little." Roldan answered, cracking the faintest smile. Jareth was about to retort, but Roldan beat him to it. "And how did this all come about? This flaming love of yours?" He asked, clearly amused. Jareth couldn't help but play into it. And so the facade began...

"I've had my eye on her for quite some time, actually...I came across her during one of my excursions Aboveground." He said, which was true.

"And this has all sprung so suddenly, within the last week, because?..."

"I was waiting...until I felt she had properly...ripened." He said, with a small naughty smile that only surfaced when something mischievous was afoot. Roldan saw this, and sneered.

"Well, now that we've established that, might I ask what it is you plan to do with her now?" He asked. Jareth quirked him an eyebrow. "You've taken her. Now what? Your wedding is in a month, how do you plan on making her presentable?" He asked, getting back to business. Jareth eased back a bit.

"That's where you come in." He said. This time, it was Roldan who quirked a brow.

"Me?" He asked.

"Yes...I'd like you to start educating her on the ways of the world."

"What?"

"Who better to curb her than the Preacher of Primp and Proper?" Jareth asked, sarcastically, with a dastardly sneer to match.

"And what of you?"

"...I think it would be better if I weren't a part of her lessons..." His voice trailed and faded, causing Roldan to worry his brow. Huh? "I have a feeling she'll be more inclined to listen to you, or at the very least give you the time of day." He added.

"As you've pointed out, we didn't exactly get off on the right foot." Jareth sighed.

"Then this is your chance to rectify that. Sarah will be Queen, and I would prefer it if you two could get along- maybe even be friendly. Who knows? The rest of her demeanor may start to even out if she finds some level of confidant in you." He explained. Roldan looked...pained.

"A friend?" He said, with a wince. Jareth closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You will give her a chance. Do you understand? You will be nice and proper and friendly and appeal to her lighter senses in an effort to save me maybe just one headache between now and then." Jareth began to ramble, exhaustingly it seemed, trying to fight off one such headache in question. Roldan stood more firm.

"Yes, Your Majesty. What would you like me to instruct her on?" He asked. Jareth looked away and waved a hand through the air.

"Everything." He said, "Everything that she will need to know in preparation for both the wedding and the upcoming celebration. You may prepare yourself in the west drawing room." He said.

"And what should you have me do about her...communication skills?" He asked. Jareth flashed to a statue and back again.

"I will handle _that_...and before you ridicule me further, know that she had no knowledge of such things prior to Davion's little incident. I will grant her some slack where that is concerned and I recommend you do as well." Roldan nodded, seeming to agree or at least understand this. He then turned as if to leave. "Also, before you go-" Jareth called out. Roldan paused, and glanced back over his shoulder. "Do not mention anything more of Aurelia to Sarah." He said. Roldan furrowed his brow.

"Sire?"

"You initially led her towards the east wing, last evening." He began to explain.

"Yes...I thought-"

"I know what you thought. And I am merely informing you never to bring it up again, understood?" He said. Roldan's gaze continued to narrow.

"Yes, Majesty...but, may I ask why?" Jareth paused before responding.

"There are many things Sarah doesn't know, and there are certain things she must come to know in stride...and I will be the one to tell her when I see fit. Until then, do not give her any means to question." He said, receiving a stern nod in response.

"...And why...have you placed her on the opposite side then?" He dared inquire.

"That is not your concern." Jareth said. And with the grim tone of his voice, Roldan bowed and took a step as if to leave.

"I feel as though there is still much to be discussed regarding this girl, Sire." He called out. Jareth wanted to groan.

"Later. You know enough to get you both through the day. Now, off with you." He said. For the third time, Roldan made way to leave. "And Roldan-" Jareth piped, "If you ever try to put your hands on her again, I'll crush them to a bloody pulp." Roldan stood for a moment, silent. He lowered his eyes, and bowed.

"Majesty." He murmured, and briskly left the room.

* * *

Sarah waited until she heard the door shut behind Jareth before letting out her held breath, and counted to ten before actually venturing out of bed. He was gone? Why? She stood, awkwardly, for a moment, scratching the back of her head and giving the now vacant room a twisting expression. _ Huh? He left? Why does he always leave on the strangest note? In the middle of a conversation? An actual conversation, not a fight? Gah! Bipolar ass-hole. _ She shook her head and looked away, feeling lost and without purpose. Her toes splayed over the cold floor. _Jareth had stayed with her last night..._ She shivered; a draft had caught her legs. She drew up her shoulders and rubbed her arms. _He said he was sorry... _ She took a step, but caught herself. _He came back... _She scrunched her brow, staring hard at the floor. It was too quiet. _Report to the west drawing room... Where was that again? _ She wondered, in an effort to distract, or perhaps occupy her attention. She'd told Jareth she remembered, but...not really. She hummed to herself as she thought, and began to teeter on the ball of her heel. _When you're ready..._

She looked up, her arms falling limp at her sides. Something felt...different. The air was oddly still, sterile, and eerily quiet. She was alone. Why did she hate being alone? Maybe it was just the castle...or maybe it was the company... As she took in the tranquility of her surroundings, she couldn't help but think that it had something to do with the strange sense of complacency she was feeling. Surely, nothing had been resolved just now. Jareth didn't get it. They had talked but...not nearly enough was said. He still thought this was a game. This was not a game. She should still be angry... He said he was sorry. She was on the verge of pondering the reason for this newfound sense of repose, but a voice in the back of her head whispered not to prod, to just leave it be for now. She was on her own and free of torment. Savor it. Fine. She sighed, and stalked into the bathroom.

She took her time, as she usually did when almost sure that Jareth wasn't looming about on the other side of the wall. The hot water helped her to relax, but it was odd. She was already relaxed. She closed her eyes and sank lower into the tub, determined to soak until her toes were thoroughly pruned. _ He did say when I was ready... _

When she was good and clean, she wrapped a towel around herself and ventured out into the main chamber, less fearful of what would be waiting for her. Jareth wasn't there. She knew he wouldn't be. And yet...

She had begun to pace towards her array of dressers when she heard a knock at the door.

Sarah's eyes shot up, surprised and mildly panicked. She stared at the empty space, at the resonance coming from around the corner. The knock came again. She darted her head from the sound back to the dresser. Not taking the time to think, she shot around the bed and whipped open the door of her armoire. Her eyes frantically searched its contents, her heart fluttering a bit when the thumping sound beaconed a third time.

Her brow shot up after spotting what she'd been looking for. In a mad dash, she shucked her towel for the robe Jareth had once provided for her. She tied the belt tight around her waist, making sure she was well concealed, and skipped to the door.

She came to a screeching halt in front of it and took a minute to catch her breath -why her heart was pounding, she didn't know. No one had ever knocked at her door before. She reached for the knob, and turned. The door eased open, revealing something she was surprised to have never even suspected.

Sarah's brow rose so high she actually teetered back a step, her face brightening, and her jaw dropping down slightly.

"Liana?" She asked, dubious, her expression gawking obnoxiously for just one second too long. She blinked rapidly and stepped aside to usher the woman in. "Please, come in."

Liana breezed into the room with the grace of a wayward feather, walking passed Sarah, only to stop in anticipation as she closed the door behind them.

"I'm sorry; I hope I'm not intruding?" She asked, half-turned to face her. Sarah looked up, and was just a tiny bit awe-struck for that brief moment.

Liana was a tall woman, much taller than Sarah. And she had the most elegant, slender features she'd ever seen. She was so pale, so much so that she glowed under the sun's rays. And she was smiling -she was always smiling- her eyes creased and her cheeks dimpled. Her dress was a light, shimmering green today and hugged her body like it was painted on. She was breathtaking, like an angel, or maybe something even better. Sarah's eyes flicked down, and with nervous fingers, she brushed a damp and tangled tendril of hair away from her face.

"No, no...I just got out of the shower...I'm sorry I'm not dressed." She said, and gave the woman a small shrug, shriveling under her radiance. Liana tilted her head, her smile warming.

"There's no need to apologize. I don't mind. If you'd like, I can leave." She suggested, and with that Sarah felt her heart sink to the floor -but she didn't know why. Her back straightened, and she started shaking her head from side to side.

"Oh! No. No, that's ok. I'd like you to stay." She spat in a rush. Why was she feeling so frantic? "Would you like to sit? Are you hungry? Is there something you wanted?" Liana waited before responding, giving her a minute to compose herself.

"It's been a few days...I wanted to check up on you." She said, and turned as she moved deeper into the room. Sarah scuttled close behind.

"Please, have a seat." Sarah said, gesturing towards a chair, just as she took the one adjacent, fiddling her hands along the way. She felt...unprepared.

Liana lowered herself into the chair, perching on the edge and crossing her legs ever-so-politely. Sarah wondered just how in the world she managed such a feat given her definite asphyxiation in her dress.

"Would you like something to eat? Or drink? Tea maybe?" Sarah asked, her voice quick and wavering. She felt nervous for some reason. Why was that? Liana rose an eyebrow at her, her lips curling ever so slightly.

"Tea would be wonderful." She answered, slowly. Darting her eyes away, Sarah reached over the table. Liana's gaze eagerly followed, and narrowed mischievously when she saw the girl's hand clasp around a bell. Without a thought, Sarah rang the tiny bell, and set it back in its place. "Where did you get that?" She asked. Sarah brought her eyes back to Liana's, blanching along the way.

"Oh...Jareth gave it to me." She mumbled, and shifted uncomfortably in her spot. Liana tilted her head to one side.

"Really?"

"Yea...in case I was hungry when he wasn't around."

"That's very convenient." Liana noted. Sarah tried not to roll her eyes.

"Yea, well...I shouldn't have to crawl to him for basic living necessities. It should be a given. " She grumbled. Her attention sprung when the door creaked open, and the iconic image of a Goblin carrying a dining tray came scurrying into the room. She leaned back, so the creature had some room as it deposited the tray on the table. Not wanting to miss another opportunity, Sarah caught the creature on the shoulder, tapping it until it gave her its attention. "Thank you." She said, in an effort to make up for all the other times her waiters had run off before she could get in a word of gratitude. It looked up to her, with a ghastly expression on its face. It was silent, long enough to cause Sarah's brow to furrow. She warily drew her hand away.

"Your Majesty is welcome." It said and quickly darted away. She gave the receding creature's back a peculiar eye, and curiously looked back to Liana -who didn't seem to notice the Goblin's presence at all. She reached out and took hold of a cup; Sarah was quick to mimic her movement. There was a small moment of silence.

"You look very beautiful, today."

Sarah's gaze, which had been fixated on the spoon she was now twirling in her cup, darted up at Liana's comment.

"Excuse me?" She asked, as if not hearing her correctly. Liana gave a small laugh.

"I said you look very beautiful today." She repeated, keeping her gaze at her cup. Sarah began to pout, not understanding.

"Thank you, but..."

"But?" She interjected. Sarah began to squirm, uncomfortably. "You don't think you're beautiful?" She asked, sounding a little incredulous herself. Sarah felt herself start to blush.

"I- I'm in a robe. I just got out of the shower-"

"And?"

"And I'm not in a beautiful dress with my hair all done up and wearing perfectly applied make-up." She rambled, her finger tapping restlessly against the handle of her spoon.

"Your point?" Sarah remained quiet, feeling that words were not necessary to communicate just how insecure she felt around this woman -one who always seemed to show up when she was in her most un-flattering state. It was surreal, and almost unwelcome, to be receiving compliments from her. "You are a very lovely girl, Sarah. There's no reason why you shouldn't see that. Jareth certainly does..." Liana's voice trailed off, purposefully, urging the girl to look up at her; like a tractor-beam, Sarah's gaze rose.

"Can we please not talk about Jareth?" She asked. Liana raised her cup to her lips.

"Trouble in paradise?" She asked, teasingly it seemed. Sarah frowned. There was something about Liana's tone...She didn't like it. Something seemed different...

"That is a grave understatement." Sarah grumbled. Liana was about to speak, but Sarah piped up just in time. "Where have you been the past few days?" She asked, eager to change the subject. Liana's open mouth thinned to a small grin.

"I've been busy...dealing with some matters regarding the kingdom."

"You mean the wall?" Sarah asked. Liana's brow rose.

"Yes, actually." She answered. Sarah smiled to herself, perked up by the fact that she actually knew something about something.

"You and Jareth were working together, then?" She asked. Liana set her cup down, gently.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about him?" She countered. Sarah rolled her head.

"I don't."

"Actually, I managed most of the reconstruction myself." She diverted. Sarah's eyes peered up.

"Really? Why?" She asked. Liana was quiet a moment, but thankfully, the silence was anything but suspicious.

"You remember what I said about differing forms of magic? It's easier for me to create new walls rather than have Jareth rebuild pre-existing ones." She explained, keeping her stare out in front of her as she spoke. Sarah, meanwhile, was busy gawking at her profile.

"Oh, I see. Do you know why the wall fell?" She asked, sounding so hopeful it was almost a desperate plea.

"Yes."

Sarah's excitement perked up, but after registering the recoil in the woman's voice, soon narrowed her eyes just a tad...

"Could you tell me?"

"I could."

Her mouth began to thin.

"Will you?"

"No."

Sarah huffed in her chair, more irritated than anticipated. Okay. This conversation was exactly the same as the one she'd had with Jareth. Why did no one want to tell her why the freaking wall fell? What was the big deal? UGH.

"Why?"

"I'm not at liberty to say." Liana answered, her voice completely neutral. Sarah's scowl gave way as her shoulders sagged. Seriously. Why wouldn't anyone tell her anything?

"Because of Jareth?" She inquired in a cold shrill. Liana took another sip of her tea and nodded just as the rim touched her lips. _Mmmm..._ Sarah groaned to herself. _God damned Jareth. Why is this such a big secret!_ It was gnawing at her- not necessarily the reason why it fell, but the reason Jareth didn't want her to know. What could it possibly be? Her imagination was slowly taking over the matter and that was never good. She was quiet a moment, caught brooding in the fumes of her irritation.

"So, how you are doing?" Liana quirked, in an effort to reroute Sarah's train of thought.

"I'm fine, I guess." She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in an annoyed fashion.

"You don't look fine. Something's bothering you." Liana pointed out. Sarah sighed.

"I'm being held captive by an abusive magical maniac who plans on making me his personal bed warmer for the rest of eternity. Yes, you could say something is bothering me." She said. Liana flashed a smirk, but the gesture was missed.

"You said you don't want to talk about Jareth, remember?" Sarah peered up out of the corner of her eye.

"I know, but it doesn't seem like I have much else to talk about." Sarah retorted, slouching a bit in her seat.

"Sure you do."

"Like what?"

"Well, how do you like the Underground? Are you in favor with your new home?" She asked, sounding oh-so hopeful that it only made Sarah sink further.

"This is not my new home." She stated, firmly, and straightened in her seat. Liana shrugged empathetically.

"Of course it is.."

"No. My home, my only home, is in the Aboveground. My home is with my family; with my Dad, Toby and Karen. My home is at my school, with my friends, with humans, without magic, without Goblins."

"Very well, but what of my first question?" She asked. Sarah quirked a brow.

"How do I like the Underground? Well...I haven't seen very much of it. I've been cooped up in this stupid castle all week and no one will tell me anything!" She said, her arms flailing up and falling dead in her lap as she scowled out at nothing. She started shaking her head to herself. Liana began to pout.

"But, you've been out in the city. You have free reign over your days...the library is at your disposal...You have every means of exploring..."

"Yes, well, I've been finding myself rather preoccupied with trying to fight off my captor to do much of anything else." She grumbled, her eyes narrowing into slits. Liana gave her a wry smile then, she knew Sarah's true feelings, and it was rather amusing to see her put on such a display.

"Well, captor aside, how do you favor our world?" She asked, again. This time, Sarah actually took the time to think over an answer.

"I think it's..." She started, but paused as she began to wince uncomfortably, and cocked her head to one side. "It's beautiful, really, really beautiful." She stopped, and looked up to Liana with uncertainty.

"That it is. Are you adjusting well, then?" Sarah scowled.

"Adjusting?" She repeated, but was left hanging when Liana remained silent. She thought a moment, and grew deeply disturbed. "I'm...trying. I mean, I'm here... I'm not going anywhere. It would be stupid to even try...so I know I need to get over it. I need to move on...and _adjust_..." She began to explain, but it was directed more at herself than to her companion.

"You look confused, what's on your mind?" Liana prompted. Sarah's scowl only grew more twisted

"I...I don't know." She said, lowering her gaze to her lap. Liana leaned in, and placed a hand gently over Sarah's knotting fingers. A shiver shot up Sarah's spine, instantly soothed by her touch -which wasn't strange in the slightest. She sighed, and closed her eyes.

"Sarah, you can talk to me. I want to help you. Tell me, what are you feeling?" She quietly urged, tightening her fingers ever-so-slightly. The pulses surged through Sarah's being, her anxiety, her troubles lulled by its rhythm. She let out a deep breath, her walls evaporating.

"I...I just don't know. I mean...I know I need to get over being kidnapped, hanging on to that will only drag me down, keep me miserable, and kill me in the end. I need to accept being here, I know that. It's healthier that way, it's rational that way. It's just..."

"Just, what?"

"I just...didn't think it would be so easy." She said, her hand fisting beneath Liana's. There was a heady silence then, as if her admission had just damned her soul to Hell. Liana's grip became more firm, the pulse intensifying to such a degree that it actually became a cool fluidity moving through her veins. For reasons completely unknown to Sarah, she felt an overwhelming urge to open her mouth and start spilling her guts. "I mean, one part of my brain knows that is what I should do, and that_ is_ what I am trying to do. But another part of me is screaming that I should be angry. I should be outraged. I should in no way even think about accepting what's happened, let alone try to move past it. I mean, seriously; it's been one week! One freaking week! I should be going on hunger strikes and refusing to leave my room! I know that's stupid, that kind of behavior isn't beneficial to me in the slightest, but...but shouldn't I do something? Shouldn't I _feel_ something?" She looked up into Liana's eyes then, hopeless and desperate.

"But you do feel something, tell me what it is." She asked, in the most gentle of caresses. Sarah swallowed and worried her brow.

"I feel...fine."

"Fine?"

"Yes...fine. Content. At ease. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy or anything even close to that, but...I'm not angry with being here. I don't hate this place. I'm...comfortable. This room, this castle, the Labyrinth, all of it. I just...I don't know...I just didn't think I would get over being taken so easily...and I feel horrible for it. I feel like I'm this horrible, awful, despicable person. How can I just let go like that? I- I miss my family. I do. But, I'm not losing sleep over it. And I think...I know I should. I should be more upset, and I'm just not. And that...is what upsets me, what makes me angry." She finished her tirade by exhaling deeply. It felt good getting something off her chest. She had no one to talk to besides Jareth, after all; and there was no way she would break down enough to have a complicated heart to heart with _him_. She looked up when Liana's grip loosened.

"Sarah...that is completely normal." She said. Sarah's brow rose, outraged with Liana's reply.

"What?"

"You think you should feel or behave one way, but rarely is our true nature actually what we think it is; what we think it should be. People react differently to different situations. You're smart, and rational. You're a survivor. It's only natural to say you have the ability to adapt. Your guilt only comes from the notion of how you think other people act. But you aren't other people. You're you, Sarah. And if you truly feel at ease, why beat yourself up over it?"

"Because I shouldn't be at ease! And it's like half of my brain knows that, and the other half is trying with all its might snuff it out. I can feel it. It's crazy, but I swear I can actually feel the war waging in my brain." She exclaimed, exasperated. Liana eased back a bit, weighing the pros and cons of what she was about to reveal to her.

"Sarah...if I told you there was a reason for that, would it make you feel any better?" She inquired. Sarah peered up, giving Liana her full attention. Liana shifted in her seat before she spoke. "The reason you feel so comfortable here, is because deep down_ this is_ your true home. _This_ is where you belong." Sarah's eyes began to narrow.

"No. It's not." She said, her voice low and sterile.

"Yes, yes it is. Do you remember our previous conversation in the library? When I told you about the protection you garnered after you defeated the Labyrinth?" She asked. Sarah nodded, warily. "You've been touched, Sarah. Touched by this world, touched my its magic." Liana spoke carefully, her wording quickly approaching the line she could not cross. She couldn't reveal anything about their connection. She had to figure it out on her own, or Liana could spur her awakening, so any talk about the subject was closely censored. But Liana thought her phrasing through quickly, so any hesitation went unnoticed on Sarah's part.

"So.."

"So, now that you're back..."

"So, now that I'm back...the magic that touched me -like an imprint?- is back home now. So..."

"So, you too feel as though you are back home. And it is true. This IS where you belong, Sarah. You are as much a part of this world as I, or Jareth. You may not accept it, but it is the truth. Think back over your years in the Above, it wasn't the same after you returned, was it?" She asked. Sarah's brow began to sag, a frown slowly encroaching on her features.

"I...I don't know. I've never thought..." Liana sensed a wave of sadness about to crash, and quickly placed her hand back over Sarah's.

"It's alright. It's a lot to grasp, I know. I just...I don't want you to tear yourself up over something that -in part- may be out of your control. You're feeling guilt that isn't yours. I don't wish to see you in pain, Sarah. Truly. The war you're going through, it's not apathy, you're simply acclimating." She said, in an effort to console. Sarah's frown deepened. How was she supposed to even begin processing that? Her body, her mind was -acclimating? Choosing, making her want to stay, making her want to belong? Just one more thing that was now out of her control... Her lip began to quiver, and she bit it in an effort to restrain herself, and turned her gaze away. Was she really so powerless?

"This is so...so... stupid!" She spat. Liana's brow shot up in surprise, and she almost drew her hand away, wary as to how Sarah would react to any more of her influence. But she remained quiet, sensing Sarah about to blow a gasket. _ Who knows, perhaps a strong venting will be good for her?_ "I get kidnapped, and tricked, and ordered and pushed around. I'm abused and alone, and at the mercy of what ever that devil tells me to do, and now I find out not even my emotions are under my control? This is ridiculous. Stupid! It's! It's not fair!" She spat, which was quickly followed by a pitiful sob.

Liana lurched forward suddenly, placing both hands on either side of Sarah's arms.

"Sarah, calm down, please. It's not that bad. Your emotions are still your own. All I've said is that the reason you're adjusting so quickly is because you're meant to be here. You were always meant to be here. And that is a good thing isn't it? Don't you want to adjust? And it doesn't make you a horrible person. Please, I hate to see you like this, my intention was to put you at ease, not upset you further." She stammered, quickly, against her own accord. Their bond went two ways after all; while Sarah could receive her influence, Liana was under a constant compulsion to maintain Sarah's well-being. She would, had to, do anything she could in an effort to keep her happy and out of distress.

Sarah eased up immediately.

It was quiet a moment, the only sound being Sarah's sniffles as she straightened her back and tried to compose herself. Liana let out a breath, thankful she had successfully disarmed the ticking time bomb of Sarah's emotional circuit -this time.

"I've been here for a week, Liana. One week. One week during which I was abducted, told my family would be murdered if I didn't comply, viciously assaulted, physically, sexually, mentally. I've been threatened, hurt, tricked, and manipulated. I'm completely alone here. I don't know anything. Anything. I've had so much thrown at me, and I have no idea what to do. I just...I feel...or, I think...ugh... No more. I just want to put my foot down and say no. I'm done. It's over. Just be done with it."

"Sarah..."

"I could just be over with it. Be done with all this, before something worse happens. The way I see it now...my future doesn't look too bright. I want to be happy, Liana, I do. I want to live. But...if surviving is all I'll have, what's the point? If I'm doomed to being angry and sad for the rest of my existence, why bother? Why bother with any of it? What's stopping me from just throwing myself out a window? Honestly?"

Liana's attention jumped a second time. This was not good. Not good at all. She wasn't sure if these were really Sarah's thoughts, or were just manifests of the amount of energy Liana had pulsed into her, but either way, they would not stand. Part of Liana's obligation to Sarah was to protect her, to keep her safe from harm, harm from others, as well as from herself. There was no way, no way Liana could permit Sarah to finish processing, let out carry out an act of suicide. It was completely out of the question. The situation needed damage control, fast. But, that was all a consequence of all the over stimulation Liana was purging into Sarah's core. Adding life force meant she would fight, she would want to live, she would have energy; but at the same time, it was simply raw force, where it was deposited was completely up to Sarah. This made any and all alteration of her emotional state extremely unstable, as was demonstrated the last time Liana offered a helping hand...perhaps these thoughts really were just a reaction to the current flow. The bouncing dial of Sarah's hormonal gauge needed stabilizing -and perhaps further testing.

"Sarah, listen to yourself, is it really so bad here? Is Jareth so cruel to you?" She asked, and with one simple graze of her finger tips, sent a huge burst of force straight to into the heart of Sarah's emotional core. Sarah's gaze flickered up, her eyes widening exponentially. "I know your spirit, Sarah. You're a fighter. You don't back down. You don't give up. So how can you say these things? You've managed to hold your own thus far, haven't you? Things here aren't as bad as you're making them out to be, and you know it. Like you said, it's only been one week. Things will take time. Change takes time. But it's not all bad is it? What of the world you think is so beautiful? What of the creatures you care for so deeply? What of the wonders that await you? The infinite possibilities that this world can grant you? There is so much waiting for you, you can't give up. I told you once before, never to submit. You must fight, Sarah. You must fight to survive, you must fight to live. You must. You will."

Sarah felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster, but she wasn't sure it was Liana's words that were causing it. She felt...invigorated, enthralled. Her attentions stood on end, her eyes widened, her back straightened. She had so much energy. It was like she'd downed 5 energy drinks in the past 30 seconds. What the? Her lashes fluttered rapidly and she swallowed hard, trying to control this strange burst of energy before it blew her to shreds.

"But, I don't want to fight forever." She said, her voice a high quirk. Liana shook her head.

"Fine, fine, fine, then don't. That's my point. Do what _you_ what. Do what makes _you_ happy. Just don't give up." Sarah's brow started to twist again.

"But- I don't understand."

"You're not meant to. That's life. Stop over-thinking it." She said, and leaned back when she sensed that Sarah's downward spiral was no linger eminent. Sarah leaned back as well, seriously contemplating everything Liana had just said, bringing a hand to her heart as she struggled to control her pulse.

"I'm just...really confused, is all...I don't know...after last night...my head's been in a bit of a jumble." She murmured, distracted with her still streaming rush of adrenaline. What was going on? Why did she feel this way? She wanted to get up and run a marathon.

Liana pursed her lips. Of course, she knew what had happened to Sarah last night, but she knew better then to try to pry it out of her. It was personal for her, and after sensing what she was feeling while it happened, realized that a pep talk from her was not the solution. Though...it seemed the solution she'd warranted wasn't much better. It had her wondering now, though, how did Jareth handle everything? Whether or not she would admit it, Sarah was much more at ease now, in regards to last night's discrepancy, she could feel it. She'd wanted his presence. Why? Liana was still unsure, but she wanted him nonetheless. And now? Now everything was just lost in a sea of grey. She had so much turmoil, but even with their connection, it was hard to decipher exactly what the root cause of it was. All she was really concerned with now, however, was distracting her from her previous thoughts and potential curiosity over just why in the world she felt suddenly able to take on all of the Underground.

"What happened last night?" She dared ask, in an effort to deter her attentions away from her beating heart. It seemed to work, as Sarah removed the hand from her chest, and slouched back in her chair as she glared, any and all traces of woe and despair fading away -like it never happened. A tiny sneer curled the corner of Liana's lips; she would rather have Sarah be angry than self-pitying. Anger was good. Anger was passion. Passion was life.

"Jareth happened last night." She said, with a sting.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"No...not really." She mumbled, her lowered eyes darting uncomfortably around the room. Liana turned and reached for her now cool tea, a gesture that helped bring back some of the casualness of their once quaint discussion.

"Did he hurt you?" She asked.

Sarah tensed, noticeably, her eyes widening as if alarmed. Liana observed, taking in each twitch and subtle flinch she saw as Sarah tried to mask her expression. She was hesitant in her answer, opening her mouth slightly, struggling to get the words out.

"N...no." She said, as if not sure that was the right answer. Liana's brow softened into the faintest frown; she knew otherwise. She knew better than to ask if she meant physically or not.

"I know you said you don't want to talk about him, but I want to ask you: how are things between you? Has anything gotten better?" She asked, warily, but for more reasons than Sarah was aware of.

Liana's number one concern was for Sarah's well-being. But, the kingdom was a close second; and given the fact that Sarah's hold lay dormant, Liana's will was free enough to act on its own terms, for the most part. This was a game, a game between she and Jareth; Sarah just so happened to be a very unlucky pawn. So, while Jareth cast his tricks and made his moves, Liana had moved to a completely different board. There were plans, and then there were plans. And in Liana's plan, everyone was a pawn, with the only real differing factor being that: in Liana's game, luck and chance were two completely different things, and not in any way mutually exclusive.

Sarah remained quiet and stern. Had things gotten any better between them? She wanted to say no, but knew that would be a lie; but saying yes felt like an equal lie. Things were changing, slowly, but that didn't mean it was better, did it? He seemed to be changing...but then again, he was the most mercurial, bipolar being she'd ever met. Who knew what was going on in his head? All she really knew, was that that morning he'd told her he was sorry, and for some reason, that seemed like a really big deal to her. He'd also fractured her arm the other night.

"I wouldn't say better. Things are...more comfortable, like a routine, I would say. It's different from when I first got here, so that's something, I guess..." She answered, her tone flat and her gaze hollow. Liana's lips thinned.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said. Sarah shifted, placing her elbow on the table and resting her jaw in her hand.

"Yea...me too." She murmured. That perked Liana's attention.

"Yes?" She asked, her voice quirking up just a bit. Sarah sighed, and shrugged.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I want things to be better between us? Heck, I wish he was my God damned Prince Charming" She said. Liana turned her head slightly, curious as to what Sarah was getting at.

"Excuse me?" She asked. Sarah huffed, sagging further towards the table.

"I have to marry him. I have to spend the rest of my life with him. Of course I want us to be better, complacent, friendly even. I'll even go out on a limb and say totally smitten. I won't be happy until I'm happy with Jareth. I know that. But I won't just let him off the hook. I won't give in to him the way he is now. I can't -I won't forgive him. He's cruel, and manipulative, and arrogant, and can be so horrible. So, whatever prospect of happiness that I'm imagining might happen later down the road...I probably won't get it."

"I'm not sure I understand you...why does your happiness depend on Jareth?" She asked. Sarah looked up then, incredulous that Liana had even asked her such a question.

"Because he's the reason for all of this. He's the reason I'm here, the reason I know about this world in the first place. I have to live with him, deal with him, listen to him, have his kids, be his wife. He controls everything. Everything in this new life of mine reverts back to him...he's like...like a rock, or a root, holding me down. So...how can I possibly be happy in life, if I'm not happy with him?" She asked.

A smile began to creep along Liana's lips, its presence only bringing confusion to Sarah's.

"Sarah, have you ever thought that perhaps your misery is your own fault?" She asked. Sarah sat back at that, offended at her comment, and was about to retort when Liana smiled openly, and carried on. "You're basing your happiness around something that you yourself say will never grant you it. You're putting Jareth at the center of your world. Have you ever thought what would happen if he wasn't?"

Sarah's flare of anger diffused into something akin to confusion and intrigue. She closed her open mouth, giving Liana the signal to continue.

"You're basing everything around him. If you don't think you can be happy with him, then take him out of the picture, stop depending on his relevance. You can find happiness outside of Jareth, Sarah. If you put anger and misery as the core of your existence, then that is all you will have. Stop relying on him. Perhaps the reason you can't find what you're looking for is because you are simply looking in the wrong place."

Sarah began to grow uncomfortable the more Liana talked, but she wasn't quite sure why. She didn't like it. Didn't like what she was saying. It was bothering her on a much deeper level than she chose to acknowledge.

"Jareth is not the core of my existence." She interjected, just trying to get a word in and breakup the unwelcome sense of anxiety that was quickly blossoming in the pit of her stomach. Liana pursed her lips.

"Isn't he? Didn't you just say he was the root holding you down? You're the one who put him there, Sarah. The world is bigger than just Jareth and this castle, look beyond it. Happiness lies beyond the door you choose not to open."

"I have nothing else..."

"Sure you do. You're going to be a Queen. You have the entire world at your disposal, total freedom to do whatever you want, to see and experience whatever you want. You simply don't know it yet. There are other things in life to love, open up to it."

"See, you say that, and I can't help but question. I have no idea what else is out there, no idea how to even go about what you're saying. I would like to, but right now all I have is Jareth. And at the end of the day, all I will have is Jareth. I had dreams. I had aspirations. I wanted to get married and have a family. I wanted to fall in love, and laugh, and cry and smile. I still want that. The only problem is, now, if I'm going to have that, it HAS to be with Jareth, and I don't know if I have it in me..." Her voice trailed, her mind warning her as to how much information she was revealing, and quickly back-peddled from her next sentence. She looked up, eager to change the subject as soon as possible. "I'm just...alone in this place, struck deaf, blind and dumb. I need something to look forward to...something to hope for. Hope at all."

"I think..." Liana started, pausing to take a sip of tea (Sarah's cup long forgotten), "that all you really need is a heading. Once you get your bearings, you'll start to view the world from a new perspective. In the mean time, find something to hope for that isn't Jareth. You'll go mad otherwise. And that's all the advice I can really give you." She said. Sarah nodded to herself, as some sort of understanding leveled out her wavering mind.

Something...something had changed during their conversation. She actually felt a lot better now. Hmm... It was strange. She could swear she went through every emotion just now, and yet it all felt so far away. She'd been so upset just moments before, hadn't she? But right now she just felt...good. But she was venting- this was what she needed. Hadn't she been yearning for another talk with this woman? For the very reason she was now questioning? Talking to this mysterious stranger always made her feel better...it was like she helped to screw her head on just a little bit straighter after Jareth had twisted it near clean off. She exhaled, and reached for her cup. She took a sip, enjoying the complacent silence and let her eyes wander about the room. Then she jumped, and almost spit her tea out over the table as she realized they'd been talking for about two hours now.

"Ssssshit!" She sputtered, setting her cup down as gently as she could to avoid spilling it. Liana perked up in her seat, and brought a hand to her chest as she watched with worry.

"Oh dear, are you alright?" She asked. Sarah's panicky gaze flared up to hers, before instantly dimming back. She started laughing then. She leaned back in her seat, and began chewing on her thumb as she continued to snicker to herself.

"Sorry...I just noticed how long we've been talking." She said. Liana's brow worried in confusion. "I was supposed to meet Jareth somewhere." She explained. Liana rose a brow, a smirk of her own threatening to break through. "But...he didn't say when...only when I was ready...and I'm not ready yet, am I?" She asked, rhetorically, her grin stretching from ear to ear as if it was the most hysterical thing she had ever heard.

"Should I leave, then? I don't want to be cause for any trouble." Liana said. Sarah sat up, and waved off her comment.

"Oh, no. It's been this long and he hasn't come for me, maybe this is his way for making up for last night." She said. She'd meant it as a joke, but after playing over her own statement, realized that might not be such a stretch As she was slowly learning, if Jareth seemed weak or uncomfortable in anything, it was admitting when he was wrong, and/or trying to deal with it. Giving her time, or simply avoiding her was starting to make sense as a possible means of consolation...Hmm...

Liana ignored the last half of Sarah's comment by taking another sip.

"Well then, can I ask what you were supposed to meet him for?" She asked. Sarah shrugged.

"He wants me to take lessons."

"Lessons?" Sarah tried not to groan.

"Yes. Lessons. Apparently, I'm atrocious, disrespectful, and ignorant. He wants me to learn about how to be a proper and presentable Queen." She said, trying to list some of the words Roldan had used to describe her. She looked up, not quite expecting to find Liana's gaze as bright as it was.

"Why, Sarah, that's perfect." She said. Sarah wriggled her brow.

"What? Perfect? No, I don't think so. Every time the word_ lesson_ is mentioned, it's usually followed by something unpleasant and detrimental to my well-being." She said, _almost_ sarcastically. Liana gave her an eye.

"Sarah, these lessons are not a bad thing." She said. Sarah was about to pipe up, but Liana held up a finger, and continued. "I know what you're thinking, and I'm going to tell you why you're wrong. First, you keep saying how you don't know anything about the Underground. This will be an opportunity to learn as much as you want. Second, you do need to learn proper etiquette."

"I am not that bad-" Sarah interjected, "All this is, is just another way for Jareth to tell me what to do, how to act, what the consequences will be. I am still my own person. I may be stuck here, but he can't control everything-"

"Sarah, please, you must understand...these lessons are not meant to conform you." She said. Sarah shut her mouth for the moment. "In case you haven't noticed, Jareth lets you behave however you wish, does he not?" She asked. Sarah tried not to glare.

"Aside from a few key instances, I suppose..."

"You speak, dress, act as you like here. This is your home, your castle. These lessons are not meant to change you, Sarah. They're meant to protect you."

"Protect me?"

"Yes. There are rules in Fae society. Rules which _everyone_ must abide by: Jareth, Roldan, everyone. Not just you. You'll come to see, that the way Jareth acts here, around you, in private, will be very different than the way he acts around others, in a formal gathering. It has nothing to do with controlling you. It is like this for everyone. You must learn how to act in order to protect yourself from others. It can be devastating not to be accepted in court. This is for your benefit. Embrace it, Sarah. Give it a chance. Pay attention, try to learn some things. Not everything has to be negative." She explained. Sarah's mouth hung agape, as if waiting for an opening to speak, yet she was unsure of what she wanted to say. It was quiet as Sarah waited for the words to perch themselves on the tip of her tongue.

"...Ok...what you're saying makes sense...I guess...I guess I can give it a chance." She said. Liana smiled, but otherwise remained quiet. Sarah began to peer around the room, all this talk of lessons making her feel as though she should probably get up and go to them. "Well...since this is so important, I should probably finish getting ready, then." She murmured, eyeing her dresser as if it might open should she stare hard enough. Liana placed her hands in her lap.

"Of course, I've taken too much of your time as it is." She said, and made move to stand.

"I think we're well past the point of no return." Sarah added, and rose to her feet. Liana moved away from her chair, about to depart, when a small light bulb flickered in the back of Sarah's head. _When I'm ready? Ha! Fine. I'll take as long as I need._ Her eyes lit up with an idea, and she started to smile as she said, "Hey...if you don't mind, I have a question..." Liana paused mid-step, and looked back expectantly.

"Yes?" She asked. Sarah padded across the room, and teetered on her heel as she tried not to appear as nervous as she suddenly felt.

"This keeps coming up, and I was wondering...if you could tell me...a little bit about appropriate attire. I've been...getting a lot of crap for the way I dress and...I was just wondering if you could shed some light as to what I should be wearing. I don't really want to ask Jareth...he'd probably take it the wrong way..." She said, raising an arm to stretch awkwardly behind her head as she spoke.

"Shouldn't you be on your way?" Liana asked, concerned. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Oh, what's one more hour? I'm already late, might as well make it worth my while." She said. Liana pondered a moment, but it didn't take long for her face to light up like the forth of July.

"I believe you may have a point. Well then, alright, I would love to show you some things." She said, sounding so giddy and girly, that Sarah was almost reconsidering. _Oh boy, here we go.._. She took a step to the side as Liana moved passed her, at a brisk pace, straight to her dressers. "I'll try to be quick and run through just a couple examples, you really shouldn't keep His Majesty waiting so long..." She said, and began rummaging through Sarah's closets. Sarah on the other hand, could only stand awkwardly off to the side, twiddling her thumbs as she wondered just what in the world this woman was looking for so feverishly, and why she was so excited over it. Suddenly, Liana pulled back with a mountain of fabric in her arms. Sarah's eyes widened. _Oh, God, what have I gotten myself into? _She took a cautious step towards the bed..

"We'll start with this-" Liana said, holding up one garment in particular. It was a dress. It was thin, and plain. There was no corset or full shirt or plunging neckline. This one was yellow. It had short sleeves, and a skirt that flowed to about mid-calf. Sarah pursed her lips while looking at it. It was something like a medieval-esque sun dress. And it was actually very pretty.

"So, what is this?" Sarah asked, with just a smidgen of sarcastic charm. It was amusing seeing Liana like this, acting so...out of character, so...human. It made her seem less ominous.

"Well, this would be something you would wear casually while in the castle." She said. Sarah's brow furrowed. _ Hmm...it's not as extravagant as I imagined... _She thought. "Not what you were expecting, I see?" Sarah shook her head.

"No...it's...very simple. I expected something with more...flare, or at least more layers." She said. Liana giggled.

"Contrary to any presumptions you may have, Underground fashion is as eclectic as Above. Though, it is quite uniform that the Fae believe in comfort, and accessibility. -Keep that in mind later on- So, this is the type of dress you could wear from day to day."

"Are there other types?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. There are other styles, of course. But, I don't think that's what you're really referring to." She said, and set the dress down and started searching for something else. "You like wearing trousers, don't you?" She asked. Sarah cracked an awkward smirk.

"Uh, yea. I guess." She said, and was surprised when Liana then presented an assortment of articles, noting that among the bunch were pants and a shirt.

"The clothing you've been wearing...they're fine, only...slightly primitive, and just a tad too androgynous. Definitely not fit for a Queen. To your ease, Underground fashion does include things other than skirts for women, however. Here, why don't you go put this on?" She suggested, and handed the mound to Sarah, who could only purse her lips in amusement as she humored the woman by turning in her spot and trudging wordlessly into the bathroom.

It took her a minute to come out, having been caught by her own reflection. She felt...promiscuous. She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror for a long while, simply observing the way her body looked in her new attire. Liana had given her black leggings, leggings so tight and shinny it looked like someone had simply painted her. Her shirt was altered, as well: it was fitted in the waist, and had a dangerously low plunging neck line. The back was longer than the front, and hung down past her rear in gentle folds. She was given a corset as well, though it wasn't the boned, form-fitting kind she'd been dreading. It was strictly fashionable, covered in thick red velvet with some kind of floral design embroidered on it. It had ties, but they were hidden by a wide belt. The look was topped by thigh high boots with a just barely comfortable 3 inch heel. She looked...good...and creepily like Jareth. She didn't know how to feel about that... And at the same time, there were enough distinctly feminine differences to say the exact opposite. There was no doubt that she was indeed a woman in this outfit, something which could have been up for debate regarding her previous outfits. But, similarities and differences aside, she looked hot. She felt hot. And that...wasn't really something she was sure she wanted to go for. It was all a bit much. She turned, and bent forward, observing the way the light shinned off the curve of her rear. Yea...this probably wasn't a good thing. She felt like an _actress_ in some well-funded, cheesy pirate porno.

But, moving past all her foreboding, she had to come out sometime, and so she stared at the floor as she wandered back into the room. Liana's hands were clasped up in front of her face.

"Oh, my, Sarah, you look wonderful!" She exclaimed, giddy and bubbly, and sweet as pie. Sarah smiled down at the floor. _Oy vey._

"So, this is how I should dress from day to day?" She asked.

"Well, that is how you would dress if you were to spend the day riding, or hunting or something like that. Usually, you_ would_ wear a dress. But, as I said, at home it is your choice."

A very specific part of Liana's sentence stuck to Sarah, causing her to look up. _ Hunting? Me? What? Don't the men usually hunt? I didn't think..._

"Well, now that you're out, we can continue." Liana spoke up, fanning away Sarah's train of thought. She looked up, giving the overly-excited woman her full attention. "This would be for something a little more formal, like a dinner gathering, or a small, non-formal celebration." She said, and held up yet another dress.

Now this one had Sarah's brow in a twist. Whatever she was expecting, this wasn't it. This one was a pale blue, and looked like it was made of silk. It was long sleeved, and had a straight neckline that hung off the shoulders and dipped down in the center in a very sharp and narrow V, almost to the navel. The skirt was one layer, and was floor length in the back, yet only went above the knee in the front. Sarah cocked her head to one side. She'd never quite seen a dress like this.

"Would I have to wear some kind of corset with this one, simply because it's so thin?" Sarah asked, trying to sound like she knew something. Liana tried not to laugh.

"Oh, no. It's meant to be thin, it accents the figure much more naturally that way." Liana informed, but Sarah was only half listening. She was too busy wondering how showing so much skin was considered proper... "Moving on," Liana said, and set the dress back in its pile. "This is for a formal gathering..."

The next dress was big, big in the sense that there was a lot of material; but, it wasn't fat or poofy. Actually, it was deflated, and sagged in heaps of thin folds. It was a dark, olive green, and was very shiny. It reminded her of some of the dresses she'd seen in her dream...the one in the crystal ballroom. It was secured around the neck by a thin golden cord, one that she imagined would snap from the weight of all the material. It was a messy bundle that drew in tight at the waist, but gave no clue as to her form anywhere else. It had billowing sleeves, and layer upon layer of skirts. There was a slit -no, no not a slit, the skirts drew up and shorted to the point of indecency up the right thigh. Again, Sarah found herself asking: why? The more formal the event, the more skin needed to be shown?

"What about the dresses you wear?" Sarah asked. Liana seemed to blanche, and looked down over herself, then back up to Sarah.

"Ah, well, as I said, fashion is still a choice. This is what I choose as casual-wear." She said. Sarah's brow rose, impressed.

"So...I could dress like that?"

"If you wanted, yes. The only things that really dictate what you _have_ to wear, are ceremonial gatherings, and gatherings that involve sentiment or respect. Otherwise, it's mostly preference, and tradition." She said. Sarah nodded. This all seemed...reasonable. Hm, who'da thunk? Sarah's gaze lowered as she thought, but soon darted back when Liana suddenly twitched.

She stood, about to set the dress back on the bed, when a tremor suddenly shot through her. She straightened and stared at the floor, focusing intently on something. Sarah frowned, was about to speak up, when the woman turned and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry. I'm being called away." She said. Sarah took a step forward.

"Oh...that's ok. Is something wrong?" She asked. Liana turned away and began piling all the clothes back into the armoire.

"Nothing to worry about, just something I need to see to." She said and gently closed the double doors. "Thank you for speaking with me, Sarah." She said, turning to give her a million dollar smile.

"Thank you for coming...I needed someone to talk to." She said and tried not to wobble from side to side. Goodbyes were always awkward.

"I'm always here if you need me." She said, and moved to stand in front of her. She smiled brighter, and rose her hands to clasp either side of Sarah's arms. "Please, give this world a chance. Don't give up. Not everything is as it seems." She said, and moved her hands to cup her cheeks. Sarah smiled, like a five-year-old, trying not to seem too bashful. There was just something about her...she couldn't describe it..

"I will, thank you."

"You look lovely, by the way. I enjoy having some girl time, every now and then. I hate having to be so serious all the time." She said.

"Yea...me too. Maybe you can show me more next time. I'm sure I'll have more questions by the next time I see you." Sarah suggested. Liana smiled and nodded, removing her hands from Sarah's face and moving towards the window.

"I'll be looking forward to it." She said, and placed her hands on the window sill. "And Sarah? Regardless of everything, do try to _let yourself_ be happy. Consider what is important, and what is...necessary" and with Sarah's next blink, the beautiful stranger was gone.

* * *

Sarah padded precariously down the corridor, careful of how loud her heels echoed as they clicked over the stone floor. She felt awkward and bumbling in them. They were higher than she was used to, and told herself to actually_ look _before accepting any more articles of clothing from Liana; _she_ may be able to float about her day like this, but Sarah was more than comfortable flat-footed. Ah, that was probably the one thing she disliked about theater- the shoes. She lowered her head to watch her feet as she took one step after another. _ 3 inches isn't bad...Come on, Sarah, you've seen Becky in skyscraper heels, I think you can handle these... _ She lectured herself, as she delved deeper and deeper in the catacomb halls of the castle.

She peered about as she traveled, wondering how she had absolutely no clue where she was going, and yet knew exactly which corners to take, which doors to open. Surely, one tour of the castle wasn't enough to have learned everything. As she glanced from one door to the next, she marveled at the mysterious knowledge she held of what awaited behind each one. _ It has to be the castle...there's no way..._

She rounded a corner, and almost hopped to the side as she made way for a Goblin as it scuttled past, impulsively bowing to her along the way. Hmm... It made her think back to the waiter Goblin she'd encountered that morning. _Why did it look so upset when I thanked it? _ She quietly wondered.

The next hall opened up to a wall of windows. The light, along with fresh air, was a welcome reprieve. She slowed as she walked by, her eyes catching on the painted backdrop of the Underground. _ It really is beautiful... _She thought, and wondered what else the landscape had to offer, what other paintings were waiting for her gaze. She had no idea, but the Underground seemed like a colossal realm. Was that an appropriate word? Was it a realm? Or was it a world? Was there an entire planet? An entire universe? Or was it, this place, just a place. Where were the boundaries? Where did it end? And if it did end, what lay beyond that? Her brow grew puzzled as she pondered these various questions.

_You're going to be a Queen. You have the entire world at your disposal, total freedom to do whatever you want, to see and experience whatever you want. You simply don't know it yet. There are other things in life to love, open up to it_. Her mind murmured Liana's words in the background.

"I just don't know it yet." She whispered, and stopped dead to stare out the closest window. _ You have no idea how grand this life could be, all the things I could give you, how happy you could be, if you would only give it a chance._ Jareth had told her that the other day; its haunting reappearance putting a damper on her contemplations. Both he and Liana had been telling her of how much this world had to offer her, how wonderful it was, but what did that mean? She knew this place was magical, that alone offered up an almost infinite number of possibilities- possibilities she knew she couldn't fathom. _ Give it a chance? Give the Underground a chance?_ She rolled her head from side to side as she thought this over. _Can I do that? Can I give this place -this life- a chance?_ Her first instinct was a solid no, but she stopped it from surfacing, realizing as soon as she asked herself that question, an image of Jareth was the first and only thing that came to mind. _Ugh... _She sighed. Liana was right. She was basing everything around Jareth, and she was right in saying that she had no where to go but down if it stayed that way. Giving the Underground a chance didn't mean she had to give Jareth a chance. It was hard to separate the two, but it could be done. Maybe she could then? Maybe things would start to be better? Why was she focusing herself around Jareth anyway? Didn't she hate him? Why put him at the center of her world?

She looked away sharply just then, as if turning away from the answer she already knew deep down in the hallowed part of her sanity. _No. Liana's right. I have to do what is best for me, what will make me happy. Jareth...screw Jareth. I'm going to be Queen. This world is mine for the taking, I don't need him to give it to me._

She gave a slight nod at the outside world as some kind of resolve hardened her features, and turned away from the window to resume her walk.

So, was that the reason then? She was making herself miserable by expecting some kind of miracle from Jareth? _ He's not going to give you your dreams this time, Sarah. He told you that. He told you that. So stop. Just stop...he's not...he's never going to be what you want him to be...take out the thorn, and it can't hurt you anymore._ She began to frown as she thought this. What she was thinking- it was right, it made sense, but it didn't make her feel any better.

She stared at the floor now, grimacing as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. _It's not so bad and you know it._ No, it wasn't so bad. She could imagine things a lot worse, that was true. What was that part of their conversation even about, anyway? What happened? She scrunched her brow as she thought back. _Why did I feel so...energized? And what...? It just went away... something... something's not right._ She began to walk faster, gaining fervor from the memories of her brief, yet incredible spike in adrenaline.

"What were we even talking about?" She asked herself. Thinking back now, it was all hazy. It was strange and should have made her wary, but it didn't. She couldn't...couldn't put a finger on what had made her so sad, and what had made Liana so intent. Why was her heart racing? She shook her head, clearing herself of those plaguing thoughts. It didn't really matter, did it? She felt better now. She'd talked to Liana, just like she wanted. And she felt better now. She felt good, optimistic even. _There are other things in life to love, open up to it. _

The echo of that particular sentence began to ring somewhere deep within Sarah's thought process. _Wait, why? Why did she say that? _ That sentence, it seemed important... She felt paranoid all of the sudden, as if one bubble after another was bursting all around her. _Wait...why did it seem like she was somehow pushing for Jareth? _ During their previous conversations, she'd told her to stick it to Jareth, to fight him. But today...today was different. She told her not to fight Jareth...but...no. No. That couldn't be it. _ Urggg_. She groaned to the floor, confused and angry she hadn't been this skeptical with Liana's words while she was saying them.

What was it about that woman that was so bewitching? What was it that made her feel so warm and cozy and blurred away any and all sense of question? There was something strange about this woman, like things weren't as they seemed... In that moment, she wondered why she always ran away when Jareth was near, wondered why Jareth wouldn't talk about her, wondered what her true motives were for pursuing her. Who the hell was this woman?

She skipped up the steps of a small staircase, careful of her heels, and looked up to scan over the new hall. It looked the same as every other, yet she knew she was on the west half of the castle, and that the main drawing room wasn't too far away. Hmph, Jareth must be one hell of a tour-guide.

"Lessons...Bah! Stupid etiquette." She grumbled. "I'm plenty sophisticated..."

While Liana's reasoning behind Jareth forcing these lessons on her made sense, it didn't make the event any more appealing. She could just see it now, with all its rigors and frustrations. What would she even have to do anyway? Would it be a lecture or a lab? Would she have a final exam? What kind of teacher would Jareth be? What was so important that she actually had to _learn_, instead of him just telling her? Why didn't he ever just tell her things? And how long was this going to take? A few hours? Longer?

She breathed hard through her nose, most definitely not looking forward to what laid beyond the door at the end of the hall. What was even going to happen? How would...how were they supposed to act? Last night...God, last night. And this morning? That awkward note he chose to leave on? How was she supposed to face him now? Just act like nothing had happened? Or...

Wait. Shouldn't she still be mad at him?

Sarah almost faltered in her step as that thought panged against her cranium. Yea, shouldn't she still be mad about last night? Sure he'd apologized but...no. Nothing was resolved. Nothing was resolved...

She frowned and picked up her step again. If nothing was resolved, then why wasn't she mad anymore? She wasn't... She started to scowl as something disturbing began to rear its ugly head. He came back. That's all she really wanted, wasn't it? Wanted him to stay? To let her know he cared, if only in the slightest? And he did...he did, didn't he? He stayed with her all night...he didn't have to do that... Was that what she really wanted? Really? And what was _it_ that she wanted? Did it have a name? Could it be...was it possible...was it the intimacy she'd been robbed of? Is that what he'd come back for? What he'd given her as she wailed in his arms? How could that be? Was the truth so ugly? Did it have to be so discomforting? He used her...and she wanted more.

_Maybe...maybe something did happen. Maybe something changed? Was it resolved?_ She wasn't angry. She wasn't angry when she'd woken, and she wasn't angry now. She felt...level, when she woke up this morning. There was no tension, no stress. Why was that? Liana's comfort aside, she was starting to feel better well before she even arrived. She wondered why that was, but the theory that came to mind was anything but welcomed. _I told you...last night. It wasn't meant to punish you. It was a release...a way to relax. It was meant to make you feel good. And you did feel good, didn't you?_

_ No. _She snarled at the stone tiles of the floor. There was no way. No way in Hell she was ever going to admit that. No. NO. Those thoughts could just crawl back into the big black pit they came out of. No. No freaking way. There was no way she was going to even entertain the idea that Jareth may have been right about all this. She started shaking her head viciously as she walked. _You say you're so frustrated you have no choice but to lash out at me? Is that it? Well, I think I know a better way to help you relieve some of that tension. _

_NO! Nonononono. Stop, right there Sarah! _

_You think you can just attack me when you're frustrated, Sarah? I'm going to show you that there are better ways to go about relieving your frustrations..._ Was it really that simple? Was that what she was feeling? Relaxation? Was...did...is that why she'd been so tense? Was the reason she kept lashing out at him because she was sexually frustrated? Fat chance. There were many, more prominent, reasons for her to be frustrated. And yet...the theory stood firm. She started breathing more heavily, getting worked up and flustered. She'd asked herself this last night, but found herself asking again: could she really release her anger through an orgasm? And if that was true, Gods be damned if that was true, but if it was, should she embark down that road? Did she want to? It was pleasure after all...not life and death. And if it made her feel better afterwards...

_WOAH! Hold your horses, Sarah. What are you even thinking right now? How could you possibly even think about letting Jareth do that to you -willingly- and -regularly- Think of the consequences! Think of how smug that bastard would be! AH! No. No, just stop right there. There is no way. No way in Hell. No. This is what he wants. He wanted you to give in like this. Don't be fooled!_

Her snarl turned into a growl. _ Yes. That must be it. Just another part of the game. Game? Fucking games... _ She shook her head. Enough of this. Her mind was getting way ahead of itself, out of hand. _ Lessons. Let's focus on lessons. Take Jareth out of it, just like Liana said. It'll be fine. It'll be boring and tedious and sterile, just like the tour of the castle... _She murmured this over and over as she approached the door that she knew opened into the west drawing room. She reached out for the handle, and took a deep breath before she pushed the latch down. _Well...here goes nothing_.


	12. Pawn To H4, part 2

Chapter 10, Pawn To H4, part 2

* * *

She stepped through the entryway, light as a feather, and closed the door gently behind her. She turned, and looked about the room. It was wide, with a high ceiling. There were windows on the far wall, the sun's rays being its only source of light. It was mostly empty, with nothing but hardwood floors and some general furniture scattered about to fill the space. One thing that did stand out, however, was the strategically placed dining table off to one side, already set from candle to spoon. She took a step, and glanced towards the left, catching movement out of the corner of her eye. She stood straighter then, and tried to school her features as she realized it wasn't Jareth who was waiting for her, but Roldan. _Wha-?_

"Glad to see you've finally made an appearance." Roldan said, stiffly pushing himself up from a chair. How long had he been sitting there? Ummm... She opened her mouth to speak,

"Uhhh..." She stammered, just a tiny bit put off. _Why is Roldan here? Seriously. Not saying I prefer Jareth's company, but..._ "I didn't know there was a deadline." She said, keeping her eyes suspiciously on Roldan as he stepped to stand before her. She wasn't quite sure what their next encounter would be like; actually, she hadn't given it a single thought. She stood, a little rigid, trying to discern any kind of emotion from him. He rose his brow a little, his mouth curved in a sly little smile as if about to call her out on a fib. She tightened her brow.

"Really?" He asked, rhetorically, but with no other hint of emotion whatsoever. She paused a beat, giving in to stare at him with perplexity as he paced by.

"Where's Jareth?" She asked.

"Not here." Roldan answered. Sarah began to purse her lips.

"When's he coming?"

"He's not."

"But...I'm supposed to be starting lessons or something. Shouldn't he be here to teach me?"

"Yes, if he were teaching you."

Sarah opened her mouth and puffed up her chest in preparation to speak, but no words came, at least not right away.

"-Wait...so..._you're_ going to teach me?" She asked, aghast and dubious beyond all reproach. _ What? Why? Why isn't Jareth here?_ His absence worried her and had her thinking of all the possible reasons for which Jareth wouldn't want to be present. What was going to happen? Was it bad? Should she be worried? Why was she alone with Roldan?

"Clever little thing, aren't you?" Roldan snarked, and moved to stand before her again, much closer this time. He raked his eyes over her, raising one brow in an expression that she wasn't able to discern, and quickly became agitated with. She was not going to put up with more of his rudeness. No way. At this point, she was just waiting for him to set her off.

"Why isn't Jareth here?" She asked.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask him the next time you see him?" He said. Sarah narrowed her eyes, on the verge of crossing her arms and pouting like a five-year-old. _Well, guess he still has a stick up his ass..._

It was safe to say that Roldan was well past the point of being irritated. He'd been waiting in this room for hours now, just waiting to be graced with this hellion's presence and completely at the mercy of his failing patience. It was aggravating having to wait for Jareth all morning, and annoying to have been ordered to teach his human in the first place, but to be stood up, to be cut down, disrespected in such a way -by her of all people! It was taking all he had not to lash out at her. _ Be her friend, he says? Bah! Be friendly and complacent...I'll be lucky if I can manage polite._ Just the sight of her pursed little lips and her judging little eyes was enough to make him want to smack the defiance right out of her. And he couldn't even put his hands on her? And by _hands_, he understood that Jareth had meant physical means of discipline. How did Jareth expect him to discipline her if he couldn't punish her? What was the reasoning behind that? It was unheard of. Why didn't Jareth want him touching her? He realized that would be a part of her lessons, didn't he?

But, frustrations aside, she was here now -after three hours. Three hours he'd been waiting on her! What was she doing? Had she kept him waiting on purpose? He had to restrain himself through a heavy sigh through his nose. She was here now. Best get on with it. _Be friendly..._

"What are you wearing?" He asked, ending the stern silence that was starting to stretch between them. Sarah's brow twitched, and she looked down over herself as if not understanding.

"I -uh...I don't know. I thought this was considered more appropriate clothing?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"Marginally." Roldan said, his voice hard and empty. "A woman in your position should be wearing fine gowns, not sporting gear." He said, his disapproval more than evident. Ok, Sarah gave in to cross her arms at that and rolled her eyes in an exaggerated gesture. _Hmph, well then-_

"Hey, I'm trying. I have no idea what the standards are, ok? That's why I'm here, isn't it? So could you please stow the ridicule and just cut me some slack?" She asked, feeling dramatic and exasperated already. Hm, maybe she would prefer Jareth's company after all...at least he didn't bitch about her clothes. Roldan stared at her for a moment, as if sizing her up.

"I suppose you're right. I apologize." He said, with a small bow. Sarah quirked him a brow.

"It's fine..." She answered, feeling a little awkward, but wasn't quite sure why.

"I would also like to apologize for my actions, last evening. It seems we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I was surprised and upset with His Majesty; I am sorry I upset you." He said, sounding so sincere that it actually had Sarah gaping for a response. If only Jareth had the ability to admit when he was wrong...even if it was only to make her feel better. She hadn't had to nag Roldan once. Hadn't had to break down and cry...

"Um...apology accepted. I guess I...didn't mean to be so...cross with you either." She said, searching for a word that wasn't vulgar. She kept her arms crossed over her chest, feeling the air grow even more awkward.

"If it isn't too much, I would like to start over; perhaps with a proper introduction." He said. Sarah turned her head away as she eyed him. Something seemed fishy, but then again, maybe she was just weirded out that he was being nice to her. _Give him a chance, Sarah_, she told herself and nodded, silently. Roldan cracked a smirk and bent forward, taking Sarah's hand as he brought it to his lips. "My name is Roldan, and I am His Majesty's aid. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss." He said. Sarah pulled her hand away before he finished pulling himself up.

"Please, just call me Sarah. No titles." She said, and waved a hand out in front of her. Roldan tilted his head, ever-so-slightly, and was about to say something when Sarah spoke up, eager to just get past all this awkwardness. "So...you're going to be teaching me etiquette and the ways of the world, then?" She asked. Roldan stood straighter, the trace hint of a smile fading away as duty called his attention.

"Yes. I am charged with preparing you for your new position." He affirmed. Sarah broke eye contact to look over the room once more.

"And...what does that entail, exactly?" She asked.

"Everything."

"Everything?" She repeated, curious as to what _everything_ actually meant. She grimaced a little with the thought. "Ok...so, where do we start?" She asked. Roldan's eyes roamed back and forth, just as Sarah's had, contemplating one decision over another.

"We can start here." He said. Sarah looked around her immediate vicinity.

"Um, ok. How?"

"Part of your lessons will include social interaction. You've just entered a room, let's start by showing you how to properly great someone." He said. Sarah nodded, and opened her mouth in an _uh-huh _gesture. Roldan took a step back. "Alright. Let's pretend we're at a formal gathering. Imagine Jareth is at your side-"

"Do I have to?" She blurted, unintentionally, and sucked in her lips when Roldan glared. Oops.

"Jareth will always be at your side. So, yes, you do. Now, in this first instance, a single male approaches."

"It matters if he's single or not?" She interrupted, again. Roldan shot her an eye.

"Yes, it matters. Would you please just let me explain? First encounters are extremely important in court-"

"Why?"

"..."

Roldan was about ready to reach out and smack her across the mouth, but resided to simply tap his foot. She would have to learn consideration for her speech as well...ugh...at least she seemed interested.

"Relationships are built within the first moments of introduction. As I'm sure Jareth's explained to you by now, we communicate with more than just words..." He said, and his voice seemed to trail off, making sure she was well aware of what he meant. She couldn't hide her blush, but tried not to look too uneasy. Should she apologize for that too? Probably...

"Yes...he did. And, just so you know, I didn't know that until...well yea. I didn't know." She said, keeping her gaze away from his.

"I know, which is why our meetings are crucial to your success as Queen."

"Yea, I get it. Can't go around to total strangers with a big FUCK ME sign on my forehead. I can see why that would be a problem - oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to swear...old habit." She fumbled, ending with a shrug.

Roldan pursed his lips, not sure how angry he should be, and his already fisted hands began to tense further. But after a moment, he forced a sigh. _ No, getting angry will help no one. Push it aside, focus on something positive_, he told himself. She did seem to be trying...and at the very least, she had character.

"Yes, well, we'll come to that later on." He said, and drew his brow when her face suddenly flushed and her eyes widened, big and bright.

"You're not- going to- um...that is, you're not?" She tried, but couldn't get the words out. He wasn't going to do what Jareth did to her last night, was he? Was that a part of the lessons too? How was that- how could Jareth do that? Roldan's narrowed eyes only continued to crease. What was her problem?

"If you're referring to your pheromone- inspired outburst...no. His Majesty was explicit in that he be the one to handle that part of your lesson plan." He said, warily almost. Why was she in such a panic? "Which I can assume has already started?" He added, curiously.

Sarah became eerily still with his question, only adding to his confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked, cautiously, her eyes brimming with some kind of terror. Roldan tilted his head.

"Your chemical signals are much more stable than they were yesterday...I'm only inferring that Jareth has begun teaching you on how to control them?" Sarah's brow twisted until she and Roldan held the same expression.

"Um...no...not...not really...I don't think-"

"You look upset. I'm afraid I don't understand. What-"

"You don't understand?! I have no idea what you're talking about-" She started to exclaim, but soon found herself breathless. She did nooooootttttt under any circumstances want to talk about this, with Roldan of all people. Heck, she couldn't even bring herself to tell Liana about what happened...

"You're still a virgin."

Sarah's heart dropped. Her face burned. Her stomach lurched into her throat. Her eyes were the size of the moon.

"E-excuse me?" She chirped, abashed. She'd just met this man! How was her sexual status any of his business? How could he- oh. Of course he could tell. Why was he bringing this up?

"You are a virgin. Jareth hasn't bedded you yet."

"Your point?" Her voice was nearing falsetto.

"Jareth hasn't taken you yet, which means that the only other reason your levels could be so low is because he is showing you how to lower them." He explained, not able to fathom just why she look so aghast right now. All it really took to control chemical output was firm mental practice, aside from sexual satisfaction; and since she was still a virgin...

"He's not showing- he's not doing anything, ok?!" She almost squealed, practically bursting at the seams. "Could you please not look at me like that?" Why did he look so confused? Why was he speaking so casually of this? It was one thing for Jareth, but...

Roldan lowered his eyes as he thought, another concern rising to plague his mind. Why hadn't Jareth taken her yet? She'd been here a week, he claimed to have been courting her for years, so why? ...She was attractive. She had vigor. Sex was perhaps the one and only reason Roldan could see as a motive behind this. Jareth was known for acting on his impulses...for letting one head get the better of the other. But this wasn't -that couldn't be the case. She hadn't been touched. Jareth had kidnapped a ripe, pure mortal girl and hadn't tainted her. It was very un-like Jareth. He thought...he assumed, that was what Jareth had been so busy with last night as well as this morning; but it was more than apparent that wasn't the case. What had he been doing with her if not consorting? Why would he chose to be with her all hours of the night instead of seeing to his obligations? Why was he so exhausted this morning? This girl...things were just getting curiouser and curiouser.

"Apologies, Miss. I'm merely confused as to why you haven't copulated?" He asked. Sarah's jaw tensed, unable to decide if he was just dense, or just that audacious. _Copulated? Wha? What kind of word is that!_

"What? I don't think that's any of your business. Can we please move off of the subject, now?" She asked, hostilely.

"I don't mean to upset you."

"Then why do you keep talking about it!"

"Because it's important. Pheromonal communication is-"

"I know how important it is."

"No, you don't."

"What does this have to do with whether or not I've had sex with Jareth?" She tried not to flail her arms out, but she desperately wanted to be done talking about this. Anything. Please. Just get to the point already so they could move on from it.

"Well, simply, having intercourse would reduce your levels to a manageable nothing -especially given your current...situation. I'm supposed to make sure you are able to interact successfully with others, but since I hold no jurisdiction over that particular area, I'm going to recommend, implore actually, that you-"

"Ok! Ok, I get it. Please, just -stop talking." She said, desperately, shamefully, with both hands out in front of her. Roldan knew she was a virgin. He knew she and Jareth hadn't had sex, and he also knew that something happened to reduce her hormone levels. Was he really unable to put two and two together? Or was he really just being clinical? ...Gah! Was nothing private?

Roldan's features hardened at her display.

"Why are you afraid?" He asked. Sarah stood back, blanched.

"I'm not afraid. I'm just not comfortable talking about this."

"Why? It's-"

"I don't care what it is. Maybe I'm just being modest."

"...Very well. I'm only saying, your issues with communication would diminish greatly if you would only-"

"Yea, yea, yea, I get it. Can we please just go back to what to do when a single male approaches?" She pleaded, and felt her shoulders sag with the amount of ease that came with Roldan's acknowledgment, reluctant as it was.

"Alright. So, you are with Jareth. A single male approaches. Now, it is very important that you listen to me, and not implement any notions you may have presumed from the Aboveground, understand?" He asked. She nodded. "Firstly, you must never, ever, under any circumstances look a male in the eye while on Jareth's arm, or while a man is on the arm of another woman." He said. Sarah's brow started to draw.

"...Ok..." She wanted to ask why, but thought to hold all her questions 'till the end. _Let's see how long that holds out..._

"So, a man approaches. You will always be greeted before Jareth, so you must be prepared." He said, and took a step forward, locking their gazes. "You're looking me in the eye." He murmured. Sarah's brow shot up. Oh, so they were role-playing now. She pursed her lips and quickly moved her eyes down to his nose. Did that count? "Ah, Lady Sarah, I'm so pleased you and Jareth were able to make it." He said, reaching out for her hand and giving it a polite kiss. Sarah blanched. What was she supposed to do? Saying Hi seemed very complicated all of the sudden. She lowered her head to bow in return, or curtsy, or...something.

"Secondly," Roldan's voice interrupted her gesture, making her pause in her movement. "You will never, ever, bow to any man." He said. Sarah furrowed her brow at that. _ Huh? Why?_

"Um...ok..." She muttered, and straightened. Roldan rose as well, releasing her hand, and bringing his gaze back to hers, and rose an eyebrow when she failed to avoid it.

"It's harder than you thought, isn't it?" He asked, teasingly. Sarah scoffed.

"Why can't I look you in the eye?" She asked.

"It isn't appropriate." Was his answer, one that had Sarah's inner feminist slowly rising from its not-so-deep slumber.

"And that's only when I'm with Jareth? Or when _this general man_ is with someone as well?"

"Yes. Next instance, you are with Jareth, and are approached by a couple." He said, and took a step to the side as he ushered in his ghost of a partner. "Rules for eye contact remain the same, mind you. However, that is strictly for males. You will lead the discussion. You are expected to greet both persons, first by addressing the Madam, whom you are obligated to meet firmly in the eye, then her partner. You will bow, only to the female. Both men will then bow to their facing lady. You will address only the female, and she will address only you." Sarah's lips began to twist up in a snarl as she listened to what Roldan was saying. Huh? Why? None of this was making any sense to her...

"What about the men? Don't they say anything? And what if I want to talk to the male? Why do I have to lead the discussion? What about Jareth?" She asked. So much for saving any questions till the end.

"The male is free to address the female, but the female may only respond to the male through his female." He informed, only answering half of her questions, and bringing a firm scowl to Sarah's face. This was...she couldn't come up with a word for it.

"What? Why? Is there a reason why woman aren't allowed to look or talk to men? Are they -we- really so inferior to you?" She asked, outraged. This -this was bordering on misogynistic, and they'd only started discussing greetings.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You're a bunch of misogynists, aren't you? What, woman aren't _worthy_ of direct eye contact, let alone conversation?" She asked, placing her hands firmly on her hips. Roldan looked...confused.

"What? No...I don't think you understand. That's not what it is, at all." He said, and began laughing with how ludicrous Sarah's assumption was. _ Heh, humans..._ Sarah recoiled slightly, and waited for him to continue, tapping her finger over crossed arms, glaring venomously. "Women are not inferior. This must be one of your Aboveground presumptions... In fact, It is the exact opposite. In Fae society, women are considered highly superior to men, and therefore, it is the men who are unworthy of direct eye contact or direct speech with one who is taken. I only say you must never engage in this so you do not goad or tempt the men. It would also be disrespectful to his female if you were to go over her head and address her male." He explained, not yet noticing the wringing stink eye of total confoundment Sarah was giving him.

"Women are superior to men? Bull." She said, waving him off in disbelief, and pursed her lips at him when he only stared after her. "Please, explain this to me. Why are women superior to men in your society?"

"We are beings of nature, beings of life and creation. Life is most precious to us. We live for eons, some may even argue forever, but with this gift of life befalls the irony of creation. The Fae may only produce a handful of children in their lifetime. Children are precious to us. This makes women, the creators of life, the bearers of children, the most cherished things in existence. They are worshipped. They are catered to and pampered and loved. -you doubt this?" He asked at the very end, just now catching on to Sarah's stone cold expression of utter disbelief.

"Do I doubt this? Of course I doubt this! How can you say that? After the way Jareth's treats me-"

"First off, you are not a woman of the Fae. You are a human. The standard alters. Secondly, I am speaking of court life; and third, the respect goes both ways. Women are put on the highest pillar, given complete power over their men, who in turn are given the right to absolute rule over their women."

"Wait, what? That doesn't make any sense."

"Women are loved, pampered, given everything they desire, their freedoms, their dreams, and in return, they let themselves be ruled. They honor, oblige and respect their men. They place their trust in them, are taught and disciplined by them. They are protected by them, loved by them-"

"So, pretty much, I'm supposed to shut up and be a pretty little doll that Jareth can dress up and coo over? Some perfect wife that lays down and takes it just so he can give me sweets afterwards? I'm not a doll. I'm not a trinket, I'm not a gold digger, either, as that is what you're describing sounds like. What you're saying is backwards-"

"You still don't understand. It will take more than one explanation from me to make you see." He interjected. Sarah shut her mouth. "This is the dynamic of an entire culture, you really think it's that black and white? You're acting as though we subjugate our women, though you have no idea of how much power they hold." Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but didn't get a chance. "But, that is a conversation for later, when we delve into politics and social infrastructure. Right now, we're still in the tutorial. So please, save all your outbursts for Jareth, or for later, and let us carry on?" He asked, gaining confidence when she seemed to un-tense before him. She narrowed her eyes, thinking over whether or not she should bother humoring him.

"...fine." She said, for the sole reason that he had just said they would be talking about it more in-depth later on. She'd save her aggravation for then.

"Good. Now, let's play over this again-" He said, and with a snap of his fingers, conjured up some kind of illusion. It was a woman, made of smoke, like a hologram. Sarah gaped at it for a moment, but didn't let herself become to fazed by it. Roldan hooked his arm through the apparition's, and took a step towards Sarah. _ Oh, are we starting now? Geez, I could use some kind of cue or something.._.she grumbled, and locked her eyes on his nose.

* * *

"Very good. I think that will do, for today." Roldan said, with just a smidgen of triumph, and sent away his wispy woman with a few waves of his hand. Sarah tried, very hard, not to groan. They'd been standing the damn doorway for how long now? Rehearsing introductions and brief conversation over and over and over again. Uragghhhhh. Was it really such a big deal? Was it really so complicated? Was she really so bad at it? She couldn't help but sigh however, at seeing the disappearance of the ghost woman, and was about to take a step when something struck her.

"Wait...what do you mean, for today?" She asked, warily, her eyes sharpening. Roldan merely quirked a brow as he stepped passed her further into the room. "How long are these intended lessons going to be, exactly?" She asked, her voice laced with something deadly. For some reason, she only thought this was a one day affair. Roldan paused in his step.

"As long as it takes." He said. Sarah's eyes widened in horror. "We'll meet at this time every day until your wedding, and perhaps even after should it be necessary." Sarah's jaw started to drop.

"What? Why! There can't be that much social conduct I need to learn." She groaned.

"No, but you'll be learning about more than just simple etiquette. You'll have to study both the history of the Goblin Kingdom, as well as the histories of the remaining seven council seats. You'll need to know the laws, formal and social, that govern this land, and have at least a minor understanding of others. You'll need to be able to recognize the different species that inhabit this realm, as well as various plant-life-"

"What? Why do I need to know plant-life?"

"There are many dangers in this world, Sarah. You are human, and therefore more likely to succumb to the many numbers of poisonous plants and fruits that would otherwise have no effect on a being native to this land. You need to be able to spot dangers in whatever form. I'm not sure what Jareth's told you, but there is an entire world's worth of knowledge we'll be covering between now and the time you ascend the throne."

If there was something behind her, Sarah would have fallen over backwards. What? This sounded like...like so much work! So this really was like school then? How long did he expect her to stay here each day? Oh, dear God. Perhaps the only benefit she could say she acknowledged about being kidnapped was that she no longer had to go to high school. And now this? UGH!

"Seriously? Ughh...Jareth is the one who wants to marry me, why am I the one who has to do work?" She groaned to herself and stalked after him.

Roldan paused before the dining table, waiting for Sarah to catch up. She was giving the floor a thorough pout when he caught sight of her.

"Since this is just a rundown of some of the things we'll be covering, I thought it would be easy to go through dining etiquette now." He said, with a gesture out over the table. Sarah huffed, and took hold of the back of a chair in an attempt to pull it out, but was rudely cut off by Roldan. She glared up, expectantly.

"Another thing to always keep in mind. I told you, women are pampered and catered to. That is the literal truth. You are never allowed to take a seat without asking it of a man, and by asking I mean telling the nearest male you want to sit. They, whoever they may be, will have no choice but to go out of their way and find you a seat. Stop scowling. This is preferred. A man would feel greatly disrespected if you did not ask, and would be honored if you chose him." He explained, and pulled out the chair for Sarah to take. She plopped herself into it, grumbling to herself. This whole _women are idolized_ thing was a load of bull shit. He joined her in the chair across from her. "So, if you want anything, a chair, a drink, something to eat, you can not search for it, you must ask it of a man. I know this must seem so trivial, but it is the simple things that matter the most." He added on, as he made himself comfortable. Sarah only raised an eyebrow, done with talking for the time being. She was still grumpy she had to go to Underground Academy. She did peer around the table though, and noticed the place setting looked as simple as the way Karen would set the table at Thanksgiving dinner. That was -unexpected.

"Well, to your relief, I'm sure, I can tell you that dinning etiquette is almost non-existent." Roldan said. Sarah darted her eyes up to him. "Place setting is as simple as it gets, would you care to list off what each item is and it's purpose?" Sarah took a deep breath. She knew what a fork was, she was not an idiot. She lowered her eyes, and pointed a finger.

"I think that's a plate, and that might be a bowl. Am I right?" She asked, snarkily. Roldan remained quiet. She wanted to groan again. Jareth would have made some kind of retort... Where was he anyway? "I'm guessing that is a wine glass, and that one's for water. Hm...let's see...the sharp knife is probably for cutting, that fork is for salad, and that one for everything else. The round spoon is for soup and the other is for dessert. How am I doing?" She asked, only emphasizing her level of sarcasm as she went.

"You're doing wonderful, pet."

Sarah practically jumped out of her skin as a familiar voice resonated from just outside of her ear. She gasped and whipped her head around to find Jareth leaning over her. His hand gripped the back of her chair, his curling sneer level and much too close to her face. She could see the individual slivers of blue in his eyes...

"Jeezus!" She breathed, bringing a hand to her chest and glaring daggers out of the corner of her eye.

"Majesty." Roldan spoke up, and stood from his chair as he bowed. Jareth rose his head, pretending to give him his full attention. Sarah turned back around in her seat, trying with all her might to ignore the strange hum that vibrated between her and the close proximity of Jareth's chest. She tried to shake it off -_ Pssshht. Stop Sarah. It's just nerves_. _ Scowl._ - His hair had fallen over her shoulder, the contact making her squirm. "Is there something I can do for you?" Roldan continued, not noticing the tense and anxious state Sarah had been reduced to. She gnawed on her lip, trying so hard not to stare at Jareth out of the corner of her eye. She felt -different- all of the sudden. On edge. He was so close to her. She felt her chair shift as his hand repositioned itself on the back.

"No. I just wanted to check up on things. Tell me, how are you fairing?" He asked, and it took her a second to realize he was speaking to her. She blinked, and flicked her eyes up to Jareth, who was already turned to face her. She wasn't ready for that. Why wasn't she ready for that? What was going on? Why was she so nervous? She gulped when he smiled.

"I-ummmmm...I'm fine." She stammered, her eyes far too wide and her skin far too pale. Seriously? What was going on with her? His smile curled on one side, and his hand moved to lightly brush his thumb over a spot on her back. She tried not to flinch, disturbingly aware that it wasn't a recoil. It was... something else.

"Would you like to take a break?" He asked, but the sound was drowned out by the feeling of his hand against her spine. Why did that affect her so? Something...everything...felt more -intense- for some reason...nerves, must be nerves. He had startled her after all... She worried her brow at him.

"A break? Why?" She asked.

"I'm sure he's had you at it for hours now-"

"Actually, she only showed up about forty-five minutes ago." Roldan interjected, after resuming his seat. Jareth rose a brow, and turned his attention back to Roldan.

"Is that so?" He asked. Roldan tried not to huff.

"Yes. I've spent most of my time waiting." He said, all pouting-like. Sarah thought to say something, but was petrified when Jareth straightened a bit, his hand inching to clasp around her shoulder. This was different. For as handsy as Jareth was, he was always very reserved when it came to casual gestures like this. He always gave her her space, was never too familiar -until he flipped personalities and things got out of hand, anyway. And she'd rather appreciated that, the distant, almost business-like quality that he conducted himself in. Is that why she was so caught off guard? Had he ever touched her this way before? Why was it such a big deal? It was just her shoulder...

"Hold your grudge with me then. I gave her no time to meet you here." He said, bringing a firm scowl to Roldan's face. What? Why would he do that? Why not tell him he could be waiting around all day if she so chose? He wanted to growl, irritated with the way Jareth was conducting himself. He was being catty, cattier than usual.

Sarah felt Jareth's hand squeeze as he stood and stepped away from the table. She turned in her spot, confused, curious, and worried. She felt -something. There was something different about the way he touched her. The feeling was stronger, more ...familiar. What? What was that? Her gaze chased after him as he started walking away.

"Where are you going?" She called out, unintentionally sounding just as lost as she felt. She didn't want him to go. She didn't know why, but in that split second, she didn't want him to go. He turned, his trademark sneer in tow.

"I merely came to check on you. You seem to be well taken care of, and I have things to get back to. Carry on." He said, and no sooner stepped through the door.

Sarah felt her fingers gripping the rim of the back of her chair. Why...why was she feeling this way? She felt -breathless, and -helpless. She turned back around, frowning at her empty plate, her rush of feeling dwindling into nothing just as quickly as it had spurred. And then it was over. She felt totally fine again. Well...that was...curious. Roldan watched her, warily, sensing something off about that encounter, but couldn't place a finger as to what.

"Alright...back to it then?" Sarah piped up, raising her gaze and giving Roldan his first smile of the day. He actually paused before responding.

"Right. -Well. You seem to know your cutlery. As far as actual dining, the only rule you have to always abide by is to never let your silverware touch the table after you've used it. It's considered impure."

"Yea, ok. I've heard of that. Is that all then?" She asked, hurriedly, but trying her best to focus on the task at hand, rather than Jareth's strange surprise visit.

"No. Now comes the important part. Just as you aren't allowed to take your own seat, neither are you allowed to take anything at the dining table." Sarah brought her gaze to meet Roldan's then. "If you want something, a refill, or a helping of something, you must ask the closest male. Also, when dining with other couples, you are free to talk amongst them as you wish, no addressing the madam. But, if the man is on the arm of a woman, you must refrain from eye contact."

"What if they're single?"

"If you're with Jareth, rules still apply." He said. Sarah nodded, and in the back of her mind, wondered under what instance would she ever _not_ be on Jareth's arm... He began to watch her, sensing her mind was somewhere else, and leaned over the table a bit. "I know this all seems so easy and simple, but it is even easier to forget when sitting at a crowded table, rich with laughter and conversation. The hardest thing for you will be refraining from eye-contact. We will practice each day. And you can groan all you want, but you do not want to be caught in a situation where you have unintentionally disrespected someone who may be very, very important. Understand?"

Sarah drew her brow, slowly.

"Yes, I understand. I'm not an idiot, you know."

"I never said you were."

"Ok, so is that it for table etiquette then? What's next?" She asked, and if he didn't know better, he would have said she sounded eager. What happened during Jareth's visit? He could see her squirming. He could see the shift that went through her. Was it good or bad? He couldn't tell.

"Would you like to move on to something a little more complex?" He asked. Sarah sighed.

"Sure, why not?" She said, pushing out from her chair to follow Roldan as he stood, and followed him to stand in the center of the room. He turned, and offered her his hand.

"If you would, please take my hand." He said, his head tilted forward just slightly so he could look her in the eye. Sarah rose a brow, and placed her palm in his. His fingers curled, and he jerked her arm to a higher position. He took a step closer, and placed his free hand around her waist. She leaned back on her heel, about to shy away.

"What are you doing?" She asked, perhaps too harshly than intended. He took a step, causing her to retreat one, and nudged her elbow with his own, forcing her to hold it higher.

"We're going to dance." He said, keeping her locked in stance.

"You're going to be giving me dance lessons too? Geez." She asked, surprised.

"Dancing is very important in Court. It is symbolic and ritualistic. You'll be expected to partake in certain dances on certain occasion; so it is important you start to learn as soon as you can, so that you do not make a fool of both yourself and Jareth at the celebration-"

"Wait. Celebration? What celebration? Is that the same celebration Davion mentioned?" She asked.

"-I assume..."

"Well? What is it?"

"Under another title, I suppose it would be called your engagement party." He explained.

"Oh? And when is that?"

"...about three weeks from now." Sarah's brow started to rise.

"And when is the wedding, again?"

"A week after that." Sarah tried to pull away, but Roldan held her in place.

"What? Was anyone going to tell me this? Why didn't Jareth tell me? Why doesn't he ever tell me anything!" She was on the verge of throwing one hell of a tantrum all of the sudden. Perhaps it was Jareth's surprise visit that gave her her spark back She didn't think about it, though, focusing on her small flare of anger and not the match that sparked it. _No one said anything about there being two gatherings of people revolving around this stupid wedding! Three weeks?_ On one hand, that seemed like a decent amount of time away, and on the other...it sounded right around the corner.

Roldan held her firmly, her struggle weak and distracted.

"Did you ask him?"

Sarah paused mid-fluster.

"What?"

"Did you ask him about it?" He repeated. She drew her brow.

"No-"

"How do you expect him to answer a question you never asked?" Sarah scowled, masking the thought that flashed across her mind in that moment, the reminder that this was just another case of asking the right questions and not taking anything for granted. Guck, that little bundle of life lessons was getting old fast.

"Don't try using word games on me. He could have informed me of what was going on. But- ya know what? No, never-mind. I don't feel like arguing right now." She started shaking her head, exasperated and completely unaware of the fact that for perhaps the first time, she was turning away from a confrontation. "I don't really want to think about Jareth either. So...where were we? Oh, yes, dancing is important." She restated, holding herself a little straighter in the position Roldan kept her in. "So, how do we do this, then?"

"Well, there will be four formal dances taking place during your engagement celebration. Those will be our focus for the time being."

"Um, ok..."

"I won't go into too much detail today; think of today's meeting as simply...reading the syllabus."

"K. Got it. So, dance number one?"

"The first dance is called the Introduction. It is the most simple of what you'll be learning: slow pace, but multi-partnered. You will start by entering the floor with Jareth, like so," He said, and shifted his position to stand beside her, one hand behind his back and the other still holding hers up in the air. But then she noticed something odd: he let go of her hand, but kept them suspended about an inch apart. "Once the couples have taken their places, you will turn to face each other. Dancing, Sarah, is the only formal situation where you may meet any individual in the eye, remember that. The male of the couple facing you will bow, and Jareth will bow to the facing lady-" He began enacting the gesture as he spoke, bowing to nothing. Sarah wondered if he was going to conjure up a ghost couple anytime soon. "Now, regarding eye-contact again. I say you are at liberty to gaze upon at your leisure, but what I should say is that you are expected to make firm eye-contact with each of your surrounding persons, while strictly avoiding any gaze at your partner, even Jareth." Sarah wriggled her brow a little. Why was eye-contact so important to these people?

"How come?" She asked, curious as to why she wasn't allowed to look at Jareth.

"The Introduction dance is meant to present yourself to your peers. It is they you are dancing with, not your current partner." He glanced up, picking up on her confused little eyes as they pondered his hovering hand. "Also, it is very important that you at no point in time ever_ touch_ your partner."

"Why?" She asked.

"Proximity, visual intimacy, a lack of physical contact, helps to harbor spiritual connection. Before you ask, I will explain the meanings of all this in a later discussion as it falls into another aspect of society that you will need to learn. But, for now, here are the first few steps, try to follow along with me, and try not to touch me-"

Sarah felt her attention kick-start as Roldan suddenly took a step to the side. He moved slow, but his movements were intricate and had her stepping and turning and twirling all about the room. She focused all her attention on keeping time and not touching him, which was incredibly difficult given her lack of grace. She was trying, but couldn't really pay much attention to the actual _steps _they took, too preoccupied with keeping up with Roldan.

"That was good, but stop looking at your feet. Remember keep your gaze out in front of you."

"I don't know what I'm doing. I'm trying not to trip into you."

"I know, but that is the point. You'll need to practice these movements until they become second nature. You won't have the luxury of looking at what you're doing." He said, and stopped their prance. "I told you, just the syllabus. We'll dig deeper as we go. Now, the second dance is called the Barrage." Sarah quirked a challenging brow at him. "And yes, it is exactly as the name entails. It is very fast pace, multi-partnered. You'll enter this dance solo. The only contact allowed is the touch of the hand." He said, and moved to stand opposite her. He rose his left hand, and signaled for her to do the same. As soon as the pads of their fingers met, Sarah felt her hand being pushed back. She took a step, letting Roldan lead her around the room with just the pressure of his hand.

"This doesn't seem like a barrage." Sarah commented. Roldan snickered. Wow! He actually snickered! It made Sarah smile. Hm, things actually weren't all that terrible. Perhaps second chances were good? Maybe she would be able to get along with Roldan after all.

"We're moving at a snail's crawl compared to the real thing. In this dance, your partner will lead you, backwards, through a strategic series of steps, at the end of which you will both turn and face your new partner, and the series will begin again. Remember, look your partner in the eyes and nowhere else. You have to trust the steps and your partner, or you will run into someone." He said, viciously glaring into her eyes to hold her gaze. She nodded, trying her best to be serious and focused when he then picked up the pace. "You'll need to get the pattern down first, then we'll work on speed."

"It doesn't seem too hard..."

"I hope it isn't. It would save up some time to dedicate you to other, more scholarly things." He said. Sarah pursed her lips at him.

"So, dance number three?" She quirked. Roldan stopped and lowered his hand.

"The third dance is called the Selection. It is undoubtedly the most important dance you will partake in."

Sarah worried her brow. She was doing an awful lot of that today.

"Why?" Roldan lowered his eyes, as if thinking whether or not he wanted to answer that question. If he was, he must have chosen no, as by the time he brought his gaze back to hers, he completely shifted off of the subject.

"This dance is slower, but requires a great deal more physical contact." He said, and took a very close step towards Sarah. "Now, this may be slower, but the moves are more complex. You do not move with your partner, you will have your own steps, and your partner will have his. Start by taking three steps to the right-"

And so she did. She moved slowly, watching him carefully.

"Now three back, faster."

She moved again.

"Two to the left, three back, turn ninety degrees -counterclockwise- and sidestep three times." He waited until she had done so, then spoke up again. "Alright, now come back here and do it again; this time, I'll move along with you." He said. She approached, and took her spot. She wasn't ready when he took a step forward, almost crashing into her. She skipped to the right, blanching when he suddenly stepped around her.

"Don't stop. It is very important that you walk through this on time. Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing." He said, receiving a worrisome nod in response. "Let's start again."

They took their spots, again. She was a little more prepared this time when he stepped into her. _Three to the right...three back. Two to the left -turrrnnnnn, turn Sarah, don't pivot! Three sidesteps..._ She murmured this to herself while trying her hardest not to let Roldan throw her off balance. It was hard. Her eyes kept following him, causing her feet to want to do the same. He was walking in circles around her, carefully, precisely. It was strange for some reason, predatory almost. That's when something clicked. These steps...she was supposed to be running away from him? So this dance...it was -a chase? How strange. She finished on her mark, with Roldan standing directly behind her.

"Well done. You've mastered point five percent of the Selection." He said, sarcastically. Sarah turned to face him, her arms already crossed over her chest.

"I thought you said this one was physical?" She asked.

"Yes, we obviously haven't gotten that far yet. Now, onward to four. The last official dance of the evening will be the Partner. It is the only coupled dance of the four. Usually, you would chose your own partner, but given the circumstances, your partner will be Jareth." He said. _ Oh, wonderful..._ -She thought. "Are you familiar with any form of dance in the Above?" He asked.

"Uh, no. Not formal anyway."

"Alright then-" He took a step towards her, wrapping one arm around her back and taking her left hand in his to hold level with his shoulder. "This is how you will stand."

"Do we have to be this close?" She asked, uncomfortably, unsure if she meant she and Roldan, or she and Jareth. She looked up, his bright green eyes beaming like emeralds.

"Yes." He answered, and with nothing but a gasp from Sarah, bent forward until she was practically at a ninety degree angle. "Are you ready for this one?" He asked, teasingly. She coughed a little in response. "There are several ways to go about this, and is really up to the preference of your partner. Since I know Jareth, I'll show you something akin to his preferred technique." He said, and twirled her back into an upright position. She saw spots for a minute, but quickly blinked them away. For a moment, she thought about asking if it would just be easier for Jareth to teach her all these dances. She was a little uncomfortable being so close to Roldan. But then she thought again. Was she really thinking that? As if she would be any more comfortable being so close to Jareth! Hell! She'd probably be squirming the entire time. No...it was good that she was with Roldan. They were still relative strangers, that was the reason for her apprehension. But it was better that way. There was no devilish undertone trying to worm its way under her skin. No suggestive touches, no conniving smiles... No, he was perfectly professional, clean and sterile. She liked it. She needed it from him just as she needed the opposite from Jareth. She blinked through her daze and gave him a stern nod, feeling somehow resolved of an issue she didn't remember having.

"Alright, I got this. But, could you warn me the next time you're going to snap my spine?" She asked. Roldan cracked a smirk, and whisked her away.

* * *

Sarah hobbled over towards the dining table, perching herself on the edge as a Goblin brought forth a pitcher of water. She filled her cup, and downed it before she even realized the rim had touched her lips. Whoo. She sighed and leaned back a bit, lifting her feet from the floor. It wasn't that she was exerted or anything, but she'd never danced in heels this high before. She wanted to say it was hours he had her twirling about, but she wasn't sure. They went through each dance again -and again -and again. And only after some pretty pitiful begging, did he allow her a short break.

She watched him from over her cup. He was sorting through some books and papers on a table. She tilted her head as she contemplated him. He was being a lot nicer than he was yesterday. Maybe they really had just gotten off on the wrong foot? Hmm... She pursed her lips as she pondered the possible development of what could forge some kind of relationship between them. He seemed ok... Sure, he was Jareth's right hand man, but he wasn't nearly as horrifying as she thought. He hadn't been forceful or negatively physical at all. He hadn't even uttered a single insult since she'd been here. Maybe...maybe they could do more than just get along. Maybe...they could be...dare she say -friends?

This new hypothesis struck her. She watched him, all broad shouldered and inky black hair. Could she really call him a friend one day? What if she told him something...something she shouldn't...and he reported back to Jareth? She narrowed her eyes on him then. Of course he would report back to Jareth. That's his job. No, she couldn't trust him. And if she couldn't trust him, how could they ever be friends? At least he was docile.

He turned, leaving his papers be, and walked up to join Sarah at the table.

"You should be sitting in a chair." He commented. Sarah ignored him by swinging her legs. She didn't see, but Roldan stopped then, giving in to let his eyes roam over her. She was so young, so fresh and naive. It was strange. The women he was used to were hundreds of years old, well matured and sophisticated, even if their appearance was younger than that of Sarah. There was a light about her, something he recalled Jareth mentioning, but hadn't been able to really figure out until just now. True, she was still crude and unrefined and ignorant and rude and every bit the brat he thought her to be; but there was something...

She turned and looked him, her lower lip glistening from the sip of water she'd just taken.

"My feet hurt. I'm not used to wearing shoes like this." She said. He snapped himself back to attention in an instant, and lowered his gaze from her as he took a seat.

"That won't be a problem." He murmured. She cocked her head to one side, peering down at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You will be barefoot at any social gathering." He said. Sarah pursed her lips.

"Really? That doesn't seem very proper."

"Proper, is what society says it is."

"Why can't I wear shoes?"

"It's more natural; the physical connection to the earth...it represents purity. "

"Hmm.."

There was a small silence then, with Roldan's gaze kept lowered to the table cloth, while Sarah's burned for his attention.

"What will it be like?" She blurted, suddenly. Roldan raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up.

"What will what be like?"

"Being Queen...being a part of Court. Being married...being married to Jareth." Jareth's name lingered in the silence that followed her question. Roldan began to scowl, as if strained.

"There is nothing grander than being an Underground Queen." He said. Sarah stopped swaying her legs.

"I don't think you answered my question."

"Life with His Majesty, will be whatever you make of it." He said, coldly, as if recoiling. His tone made her frown. Hm, maybe they weren't buddy buddy enough to be talking seriously about their mutual Goblin King. She turned away, staring blankly at the wooden planks of the floor. "Sarah-" Roldan spoke up. Sarah's head darted back, her eyes wide and expectant. "I know the means by which you've arrived here. I must warn you, push your personal feelings aside." He said, cryptically. Sarah drew her brow on him. "You must not show any weakness. You can't let anyone in court know you are here against your will."

"Why? Will Jareth get in trouble?"

"No...to your discomfort, it is perfectly acceptable for a King to steal his bride. No, what I'm saying is that it comes with a risk. Showing weakness in your marriage will reflect upon the stability of the kingdom. Understand? I don't think I need to explain why it would be bad if other nations thought Jareth, or his position were weakened..."

"I understand." Sarah's response was quick, soft and heartfelt. This was something she'd understood and come to accept early on. She'd told herself this, over and over: Jareth aside, she would care for his subjects, she would be a Queen for the sake of the kingdom. What Roldan was saying now made perfect sense to her...and while she had no shortage of _personal feelings_ working against it...she knew -she would swallow them if it meant protecting the Goblins, her friends. She had an image to present...part of that meant coming off as content and loyal to her husband...she may not like it, but she was prepared to set aside her pride in this instance.

Roldan glanced up at the hum of sincerity he heard in Sarah's voice. He looked up to her, but her gaze was cast somewhere else, lost in some thought. He focused his eyes on her face.

"Why did he take you?" He heard himself ask. He saw her brow twitch.

"I...I don't know."

"You didn't want to come here? You haven't slept with one another..."

"You might be just as confused as I am. I don't have the slightest clue why I'm here. He just showed up and forced me to come here. He said I was suitable...that I would make a good Queen, but...I'm sure there's plenty of better qualified candidates out there." She said, turning her gaze back to face him. He opened his mouth, about to speak, something curious coming to mind, when the door opened and a Goblin came scuttling across the room.

They both turned, distracted by the intrusion. The creature bumbled up to Roldan, but turned to bow to Sarah before speaking.

"Master Roldan, Grigor needs you in the dungeons."

Sarah furrowed her brow again. What? Roldan sighed, as if irritated and made move to stand.

"What is it this time?" He asked. The Goblin hopped back, giving him room to move.

"One of the attendants got himself stuck in the knee-splitter. We tried using the kitty-paw to get him out but...it's just getting messy. We been at it hour hours now. Grigor sent me's to get you." It explained, and had Sarah wondering why it came to Roldan and not Jareth. But then she thought, _hey he's s'posed to be like his -second in command? Perhaps the all-mighty Goblin King can't be bothered with matters of malfunctioning torture apparatuses... _She looked away from the creature then, trying not to imagine the scene it was describing.

Roldan huffed in an annoyed manner and moved to step around the table.

"Sarah, I'm sorry but I should probably handle this." He grunted. Sarah hopped down from the table.

"Oh, no, you definitely should."

"We'll have to finish early today-"

"_Oh no_." She said, mockingly, giving herself a small little smile of victory. Roldan tried not to sneer. He turned, walked back to the table across the room, and returned with a stack of books in his hands.

"I'd like you to read through chapter five in each of these for tomorrow." He said, and deftly plopped the mound in Sarah's arms, giving her his own smug smirk.

Sarah gaped. What? He's giving me homework! She stared, aghast, as he stepped away from her.

"What? Seriously? You're giving me homework too?" Her thoughts were so loud, they had no choice but to escape through her mouth. He turned and smirked at her over his shoulder.

"Yes. Think you can handle it? I'd like to start getting into the kingdom's history and it would be better if you had some sort of a base-line to start our discussion." He said. Sarah wanted to whine, very loud and obnoxiously. "I'll plan on you being here earlier tomorrow, say...nine am?" He asked.

"Ten...thirty." She bargained, still put off and distracted by the weight of the pile of books dragging her down.

"Very well, as long as you show up this time. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day; now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dismembered Goblin in need of rescuing." He said, and quickly stalked behind the frantic Goblin out into the hallway.

* * *

Sarah trudged through the halls, books in tow, mindlessly navigating the maze that would lead her back to her room. She tried not to drag her feet as she walked, but she couldn't help but groan at the prospect of having to sit down and comb through each and every one of these dusty old books. _Ugh, chapter five? In all of them? It'll be a miracle if I'm even able to read these things. With my luck they'll be written in Old English, or Old Old English. Urrgggg..._

She threw her head back as she walked, glaring at the ceiling as she focused on _not _stomping her feet (she might break a heel). _At least he let me out early. _

She reached her room to find out it was almost six o'clock. She set her books down with a thud, and practically threw herself into a chair. She sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the solitude, before searching for her little bell. They'd been in that stuffy old room for hours, and hadn't stopped to eat or anything. Gah, she was lucky she could convince him to give her a water break. Wasn't she Queen? (or, almost Queen?) When was Roldan going to start listening to her? _Pfff, never. He reports to Jareth, remember?_ She kicked her feet up on another chair and waited for the waiter to arrive.

She only had to wait a couple of minutes, but found herself taking more time to decide on what she wanted before removing the covering. Her grumbling stomach told her something juicy, steak maybe, ribs, brisket -_Gah_. But her brain kept reminding her of how long it'd been since she'd last had any kind of work out, and argued that it would be best to go for something a little more...healthy. She snarled at the covered tray, loathing the decision to opt for a salad. She was really going to have to do something about that soon. She was starting to go stir crazy. _ Hmm...maybe I'll go for a run some time -see what Jareth has to say about that._

She turned, feeling that she might as well get started on her homework. She opened the first book, its cover falling open and hitting the table top with a thud, and sent a small puff of dust into the air. She had to blink the soot out of her eyes, and wondered when exactly was the last time someone had read any of these. She flipped through the first couple pages. It had no title, no index, only a fancy cover page with Jareth's seal on it. She took a deep breath. _Enjoy the rest of your day, my ass_ -she groaned. *Sigh* this was sure to be one hell of a bore.

* * *

She finished the first book relatively quickly; it'd only taken about an hour to read through chapter five. She pushed her now empty plate away, feeling victorious- or she did until looking over and counting the four other, larger, books that still awaited her attention. She narrowed her eyes on them; it was like they were laughing at her. _ I bet Roldan did this just to be an ass. I shouldn't even bother, what's he really going to do?_ She asked herself this, knowing full well she probably didn't want to know the answer. She pushed it aside, reaching out for the stack and migrating to the couch beside the fire. The sky was starting to dim, and the room was getting a cozy kind of hue that made her want to just curl up and roast marshmallows. She opened the second book, wondering if the Underground even had marshmallows.

"And onward to...The Death of The Mighty: The Formation of The Council of Eight. Ooh, now that sounds exciting. *Guck*" She said to herself, sneering down at its yellowing pages and faded type. At least she had some idea as to what this one was about.

She tried, really, she did. She forced herself to sit on that couch for a good three hours. She'd finished the next two books, each one significantly longer than the last. When she looked up, it was already dark outside, the sound of crickets and unknown beasts beginning to fill the void with their haunting symphony. She closed her book, and began tapping her index finger against it, incessantly. There was only so much reading she could do in one sitting, especially given content as dry as this. It was almost ten o'clock now. Where did the day go? It felt like only minutes ago she was waking to Jareth in her bed. And yet, that memory felt like it'd happened eons ago. It was strange, not seeing him all day. It felt just like the previous time she'd been without his company -lonely, and...quiet. She wondered where he was, what he was doing, why he wasn't pestering her. It bothered her that she thought of these things. She hated being left alone here, in this unfamiliar place. Even if she were fighting for her life, at least she wasn't alone. _Wow, Sarah, keep thinking like that, see where it will get you_, She thought, and shook her head from side to side.

She knew, deep down, that it was a good thing he left her alone like this. He gave her space, freedom -_loosely defined_. And while she hated the solitude, she knew that if she didn't have it, she'd probably go mad without it. But wasn't she already? She had to be mad, for actually wanting his company. She began to ponder then ...what if the Underground wasn't the only thing she was acclimating to? _Huh? No. Don't even think about that- No way. _

She grunted, glaring hard at the pattern of light that danced across the floor boards from the fire. Enough of that. She kept trying to tell herself to stop putting him at the center of everything, and found that it was harder to take him out once he'd wormed his way in. _ I need something else. I need other things in my life besides him. Listen to what Liana told you. Look for something else._ She told herself, and groaned, loudly and obnoxiously in response.

She sprawled out over the couch, and curled her head back over the arm, wading in her boredom. The blood began to slowly pool in the top of her head, and she welcomed the slight hazy sensation that came with it; it helped to ease her thoughts.

She opened her eyes, and peered across the room. It was quiet. Deathly quiet. The kind of quiet that only came in movies when you knew something horrible was about to happen. She waited, counting along with the ticking of the clock, but nothing came. She glared at the ceiling, knowing that the only reason she was feeling that way -aside from the lack of circulation to her brain- was because she in fact wanted something to happen. She was always looking for disaster. She turned her head again, and this time her eyes caught on something.

She could see the doors. They were upside down. But this new vantage point seemed to call out to her attention. Her eyes slowly flickered, first to the door that led to the hall, then fixated on its mysterious counterpart. _ Hmm, distraction._ She rolled off of the couch, taking a minute to let the blood dribble back to the rest of her body, and padded her way across the room.

She stood before the set of double doors, awed and hesitant as always, contemplating what she wanted to do. She'd come up to this door about five times now, and never once had the courage to actually see where it went. She'd seen Jareth leave through it a few times. It was never locked. Wherever it went, it couldn't be dangerous. She puffed up her shoulders, as if trying to prove that she was in no way intimidated by an inanimate object, and reached out for the handle.

"Well, nothing for it." She murmured, and swung the door open.

It was dark beyond the threshold. She couldn't see where it led, but assumed it was some kind of corridor rather than an actual room. She stared it down for a long while, waiting for something to jump out at her. Nothing happened. She pursed her lips, and turned back to look around her room, hoping to find some sort of lamp or candle she could use to navigate. There was nothing. She turned back to the door, cowering a little as its presence seemed to stretch and loom high above her. _Oh, come on, Sarah. Where's your sense of adventure?_ She asked herself, recalling how she hadn't thought twice about entering the Labyrinth, or choosing to plummet into certain death, or face an entire Goblin army, or run into a room which held no one point of gravity. The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous her current situation seemed. Why was she so afraid of a door? Maybe she was getting soft and timid in her old age. _ Bah!_ And with that bit of motivation, she treaded off into the darkness.

To her surprise, and relief, it only took her a few brisk strides to reach the end of the corridor. Her eyes had started to adjust, and she could make out the frame of a door emerging from the shadows. She stopped before it, raising her hand and knotting her fingers as she took one last look at the dim oval of light that was her room, way back in the distance. She turned back around, placing her hand firmly on the handle of the door, and exhaled slowly as she clicked down the latch.

The creak of the door echoed through the corridor, as if signaling an alarm of her intrusion. She drew up her shoulders and winced at the sound. Feeling it was too much, too nerve-wracking, she stopped it, and decided to try to squeeze through the small space allotted.

She closed the door behind her, and couldn't prevent the jolt that shot through her as a fire suddenly blazed to life somewhere off to her left. Her fingers lingered on the latch as she stepped away from it, peering up and all around.

Even with the fire, the room was dimly lit. She looked to her left, and saw the fireplace; just like her room, it had a couch and several chairs placed around it. She could see a door on the far wall. There was a nook cut out in front of her, it's three walls lined with books, the opening guarded by a working desk. She started to gaze more freely, and saw there was another door just off to her right, and several storage-like furniture pieces littering the otherwise vacant space of the wall. She pretended not to know they were dressers. Aside from that...there wasn't much of anything worth looking at. It was dark, and rather drab. Nothing compared to the elegance of her room. She couldn't even pick out a consistent color scheme.

As her eyes moved from left to right, they couldn't help but lock on the one thing that really stood out about the place -its window. It was a large arch cutout, wide, stretching a good five feet. The silver light from the outside world played against the golden hue of the fire, casting a strange iridescence over the furniture. The light shone into the room in bright beams, unmasking all that tried to hide within the darkness. That's when she saw the bed.

She took a step further into the room, trying her utmost best not to ground her feet and scowl.

It was large, _of course_, with black sheets and gold trim to boot. That area of the room was a nook as well, a circular add on to the rest of the rectangle. And it was lofted, just a step or two. Combined with the brilliance of the window, it looked like a fucking altar.

"I knew it!" She growled, unable to stop her foot as it stomped against the floorboards. She started snarling, feeling toxic fumes of rage start to work their way out of her ears. "He has a God damned private door right to my room! Of course! Ugh." She threw her hands up, outraged, and then crossed them firmly over her chest. Really, she should have expected this. Actually, she did. But seeing it come to truth was another story. _ The audacity of that man! He can't even manage a walk down the hall? No. He has to have his own private little shortcut. Prolly for any late night urges. Don't want any inconvenience there, would we! _She huffed and gruffed and puffed and glared all over the room. Her fingers gripped her biceps viciously, her shoulders drawn up into herself.

She stood there, as if waiting for the furniture to say something snarky to her so she could tear the place apart. But, as she stood, alone and unknown, her sense of curiosity began to reason with her. If this was really Jareth's room, now would be her best chance to do some snooping -for what, she didn't know- but maybe she would find something...something interesting that she may be able to use to her advantage. Her brow wriggled mischievously as narrowed eyes peered around the room through a new lens. _This is supposed to be Jareth's room? Where's all the flash? All the ego and sparkles?_ There was nothing, nothing but bare essentials. For a moment, she wondered if this really was Jareth's room...but shook the thought away. Who else's room would it be? No. It had to be Jareth's.

She leaned back towards the fire, trying to see if perhaps he had left anything out on the coffee table -nope. She turned, and stalked towards the desk. Surely, there was something worth digging through there.

She walked precariously around the desk, as if toying with it, running her fingers along the edge. It looked similar to the one in the library. Hm. She threw herself into the much-larger-than-necessary chair, and placed both hands flat on the desk top as she scanned its contents.

Nothing jumped out at her. There were some books, some folders with papers, documents that needed signing, things like that. But all that was completely useless to her if she couldn't read any of it. Nothing she found was in english. She pouted as she toyed with the different pens and other strange utensils that loitered amongst the papers. She huffed, resting her jaw in her hand. He didn't even have any decorative nick-knacks worth her attention. She sat up, dangerously close to throwing a tantrum. _Ugh, this is so boring!_

She crossed her arms and scowled, irritated with Jareth for not leaving her something to snoop through. She glanced down, gaining new hope when she noticed the desk had drawers. The first two were locked. The third merely had refills of ink and wax, and the fourth held loose sheets of parchment. She wanted to growl, but then a higher force decided to take pity on her.

She'd jerked the drawer out quickly, the amount of force causing something lodged within the back to come rolling into her presence. She cocked her head to one side as she picked up a crystal from the lonely drawer of papers. She brought it close to her face, but saw nothing. She shook it, not knowing what else to do with it, but nothing happened. She pursed her lips. _ Hmm...wonder what this is..._ Why would Jareth have one crystal hiding in a drawer of papers? _Curious..._ She tossed it up in the air a couple of times, deciding what to do next. She leaned back, and propped her feet up on the desk.

"So, this is where you spend your dreary nights? Plotting all things cruel and diabolical? Hm...bit of a let down."

She wondered how much time she had before Jareth came. Did he know she was in here? Could he? Did he keep tabs on her like that? Or was he actually busy?

She placed the crystal back in the drawer, and stood, thinking it would be better to get a move on just in case. She didn't want to be caught anywhere near here let alone snooping. She walked back across the room. The only other things to investigate were his dressers, and those weren't really something she wanted to go through. She frowned at the floor, feeling her sad little excuse for an adventure was exactly as disappointing as it seemed, when a beam of light caught her eye.

She looked up, the presence of the window calling back her attention. She took a step towards it, but caught herself, wary should she venture too close to the bed._ Oh, come one, it's just a bed. He's not even here. Besides, whether or not a bed is present hasn't deterred him any. _ She smirked at her own voice of confidence, wondering at what point in time it had decided to join the party. She hopped up the step, steering clear of the bed, and keeping her eyes on the window.

It was larger up close, so large it had her wondering what the practicality of having a window this size, with no glass, in a room this small, was. What happened when it rained? Or if there was a storm? Does it snow here?

She placed her hands on the sill, marking on how wide it was, the stone a good two feet thick, and leaned out into the open air. The night breeze felt good on her face, and smelled fresh and crisp, kissing her cheeks as it sang its haunting lullaby. She hadn't really been looking, but once her eyes focused, she felt her brow soften and her mouth start to fall open at what she saw.

She thought the view from her room was good. She could see part of the Labyrinth, and the surrounding forest; but not much else. As she gazed out now, however, she saw everything, absolutely everything. She saw the Labyrinth. She saw the forest and the desert and the twinkling lights of the city as they danced in an effort to mimic that of the stars. It was beautiful. Blues and violets and greens and reds, blanketed in a sheet of black velvet, all swirled and blurred through a maze of forever changing pin pricks, each tiny hole allowing only the faintest glow, the most delicate streak of light to break through, before the sea of midnight covered it in its luscious blanket once more. The light moved and glittered with a will of its own. She looked on, the world stretching far and thin. The Labyrinth looked like no more than a thin band from here, the land going on and on before submitting to the caress of the horizon. She looked down, wondering how high up they must be to see so far ahead. Given the night's shadow, she couldn't even see the bottom of the tower. Good thing she wasn't afraid of heights.

She leaned out a little further, bewitched, beguiled, enchanted, and lost to every other possible synonym as she melted into the landscape. _He gets to look at this every night?_ She sighed as a breeze caressed her cheek, and resumed to sing her its sweet melody.

* * *

Sarah froze; her attentions heightening to a state of pain as she heard the dreadful sound of a door opening and closing from somewhere behind her. She whipped her head up, ready to run for her life or jump out the window if need be, but found herself locked in a state of perpetual reaction and over-burgeoning potential energy as she realized Jareth hadn't noticed she was there.

She stood, like a statue, refusing to breathe, her eyes as big as the moon behind her. _Oh, shit! Shitshitshitshit. Damn it, Sarah! You and your stupid curiosity! You should've gotten out while you were ahead! _ She screamed at herself over and over. _Of course this would happen. Go snooping in Jareth's room and not expect him to show up? Now that's just stupid._ She stood there, waiting, the butterflies beating so hard she thought she might double over with a hernia any minute. And yet nothing happened, all she could do was watch.

Jareth had entered with his head bowed. He was reading something, and carefully shut the door behind him as he came in. He was wearing a cape, and shook it off to hang on a nearby rack, keeping his eyes on whatever paper he was reading all the while. His movements were slow, as if distracted. She wondered what he was so focused on... He turned, and headed towards his desk, leaning over it as he began searching for something. He paused for a moment, resting both hands on the edge of the desk as if catching his breath, then brought one up to push back the skin of his forehead. He sighed, and resumed his shuffling.

Sarah found herself frowning, but wasn't quite sure why. Jareth still hadn't realized she was standing no more than 15 feet away from him. His guard was down...and he looked -tired. Her brow began to tighten, as if just now seeing him for the first time, and was having trouble digesting just what it was she was seeing. There was something desolate about his expression, a hollowness in his eyes. He looked utterly exhausted. It was something she'd never seen on him before. He kept his head lowered as he walked, though she suspected it wasn't from his reading. He looked worse for wear, and for some reason, that deeply disturbed her. Gone were the mannerisms of a deviant, someone confident and calculating all things sinister. Whatever she saw now, was whatever was left. Her brow continued to tighten as she thought this. His walls were down, and he looked...broken. He turned, and began pacing over towards the fire. He'd made it halfway across the room before cutting himself off mid-step, his head twitching, his brow drawing. He looked up suddenly, right at her, and all of a sudden, the walls were back, all the wear, all the dole, all her concern for him- it was gone, completely and totally gone, replaced by a huge beaming smile.

Sarah found herself blinking like a fool as she watched this transformation take place right before her very eyes. It was something so small...and yet it held a profound impact on her. She couldn't dwell on that for long, however, as she noticed his smile fade just as quickly as it had appeared. He turned towards her, fractionally, his mouth curling up in a strange sneer that not even he was aware of. She began to worry her brow.

"How...did you get in here?" He asked, sounding neither mad nor glad, but genuinely curious. Sarah opened her mouth, and out flew all the butterflies, leaving her steadied for the reaction she so desired to give him.

"Through the little secret passage you've got going straight into my room." She said, sharply. Jareth's eyes flickered to the door in question, his brow raising just slightly, his sneer curling a little further.

"I wondered when your curiosity would get the better of you." He said, and turned away as he resumed his walk to a chair beside the fire. Sarah glared, hard. What? That's it? No more cheeky retorts? No threats? She felt greatly offended at his lack of enthusiasm; she felt like she was being dismissed well before she even arrived. She tried not to stomp as she made her way for the door.

"Yes, well, didn't mean to barge in on you. I'll just go back to my room." She snarled, and reached out to jerk on the handle. Not much to her surprise, it wouldn't budge. "Let me out." She snapped.

"Why don't you stay a bit?" He suggested, not taking his eyes from the document in his hands. He'd sat down by this point, and had kicked his boots up on the coffee table between he and the fire. She became irritated then, not so much that he was keeping her here, but by the fact that he wouldn't look at her.

"I'd rather not. And besides, you look busy." She said, in an effort to reason with him. She kept her hand on the latch and her eyes on him, who couldn't have looked more detached.

"I haven't seen much of you all day. Please, stay and visit." -_You're not seeing much of me now_, she grumbled to herself.

Sarah took a deep breath, and stalked her way to sit in the chair furthest away from him. She sat there, staring daggers at him, and began tapping her finger against the arm of the chair. Minutes began to pass. He didn't say anything. Didn't look up from whatever it was he was looking at, didn't acknowledge her in the slightest. Ugh, that irked her so. If he wasn't going to pay any attention to her, why keep her here? Perhaps she should be glad he wasn't paying any attention to her...but even that thought made her angry.

"What are you doing?" She asked, unable to stand the silence and one-sided tension any longer. He flipped back a page before responding.

"I'm going over Davion's quota for this quarter." He informed, his voice low and sterile, as if his mind was elsewhere. Sarah eased back in her seat, just a little.

"The thing Roldan was sent to do?" She asked.

"Yes..." He murmured. Sarah folded her hands in her lap, feeling her anger wash away much more quickly than anticipated. She just felt awkward now.

"What did he have to take quota on?" She asked, and even in his wayward state, Jareth noticed the alter, and lack of once present aggression in her voice.

"The north may be less habitable, but it is rich in natural resources. It's full of mineral and stone mines, timber and such...much of our exports come from the north."

"Oh."

It became silent again after that. Without her agitation, Sarah didn't quite know how to handle herself. It was the same way in the library. God, she hated these silences. She eased back in her chair, and turned her gaze over to the fire. She wasn't sure how long she stared at the flicker of the flames.

"So, how was your first day?" Jareth asked. Sarah tilted her head, which at some point had lowered to rest on the heel of her hand.

"Fine, I guess." She answered, the sound of her voice, paired with the staggered crackle of the fire and crinkle of turned paper, being the sounds filling the void.

"Were you and Roldan able to play nice?" He asked, with only a hint of the amount of tease he would have normally put into that question.

"Yes, actually. Why are you having him teach me all this stuff?" She asked.

"He's well qualified."

"And you aren't?" She heard herself ask, completely bi-passing her mental filter. She caught herself just in time. "I just figured you would have been the one-"

"I thought you might like it better if you had someone other than me to pester you." He said, gaining a small perk of his usual self. Sarah wanted to scowl, but couldn't stop the smirk that cracked the line of her lips. She would never admit it, but it was nice to hear some kind of humor after a day dealing with Mr. Stickuphisass.

"And I don't suppose you have more important things to deal with?" She asked.

"That too."

She shifted in her seat, turning to look at him. His attentions were still hardened on his document. She rolled her head back against the chair.

"How long will it take to go through that?" She asked.

"I have three more to check after this."

Sarah groaned for him.

"So, have you learned anything yet?" He asked, distracting her, and bringing her gaze back up to him before it could sink to the floor.

"Yes, actually. Quite a lot for a first day, I would say." Jareth wasn't sure why, but there was something snippy about her tone.

"You seem like you have something to say."

Sarah turned more towards him, and drew her legs up to sit on them as she perched.

"More of a question, actually. Mind explaining to me what this whole female superiority B S is?" She asked. Jareth paused just as he was about to flip a page, his brow twitching, though instead of looking up to her, he merely blinked at his paper. She started gripping the arm of her chair.

"B S?" He retorted. Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"Yes. Roldan tried telling me something about how women are supposed to have power over men-"

"They do." Jareth interrupted. "Women hold a great deal of legal and social power over the men in this realm."

"If that's so, then how come you keeping telling me what to do? How is it you can bully me around and make me do-"

"Because there are rules." The power from Jareth's statement came not from irritation, but the cold, casual manner in which he said it. Sarah glared. "First, I'll inform you that you are a human. As of right now, you hold no position, and therefore no grouping, with the conformities of my culture. That will change, however, once we are married. Second, there are _rules_. Roldan will explain to you the different powers and rights women hold in league with and over men. With that said, court life is very different from private life. In the home, women are still expected to obey their husbands."

Sarah could only purse her lips at his downcast gaze. This was nothing but backwards medieval bull shit. She snarled and sat back down in her chair.

"What kind of powers will I have once we're married?" She asked. She thought she saw Jareth twitch just then, but wasn't sure.

"Ask Roldan." She drew her brow on him.

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because I don't want to." He said, plainly. His attitiude was starting to rub her the wrong way. Starting? Ha! She decided it would be best to just change the sbject.

"You made Roldan wait for hours for me."

"No, you made Roldan wait for hours for you." He retorted.

"You told me to show up when I wanted. If I had known he was there, I wouldn't have made him wait. What you did was-"

"Was what, exactly?" He interjected, drawing close to actually giving away some kind of emotion.

"Mean." There, that cracked a smirk from the dismal looking Goblin King. He huffed, his lips curling on one side.

"Consider it as a sentencing to time out, then." He said.

"What? Why?"

"The way he conducted himself yesterday was out of line. I gave him some time to think over his attitude towards you." While he thought she would like this answer, it only made her frown.

"I don't blame Roldan for being upset yesterday. Making him sit there for hours was petty."

"You're taking his side, now? Close chums already, are we?" He asked, mockingly, the first sign of real emotion tonight. Sarah scowled.

"No- I'm just saying-"

"Were you not so upset with him last night? Was it not you who asked me to put him in his place? I could have done far worse to him for disrespecting you. So what if I made him sit in a chair, grumbling with nothing but his own self for a few hours? Do you actuallly care? Or are you still set on finding any means of becoming cross with me?"

Sarah shut her open mouth, his outburst hitting her like a slap in the face. Why was he always right? She pouted, and glared away from him.

"What were you doing after I left this morning, anyway?" He asked, as if using the question as a means to move away from his own annoyance. She held her nose up in the air, debating whether or not to tell him,

"I had tea with Liana." She said, pointedly. She didn't see, but Jareth peered up to her then.

"Really, now?"

"Mhm."

"And how did that go?" His tone was suddenly sharper, and he sat just a little on edge, but she was unaware of this shift. She continued to glare off at nothing, leaving Jareth wary and wondering if they sat on the verge of another disaster like the one that happened the last time Sarah had had tea with Liana...

"Good."

"What did you talk about?" He asked, as gently as possible. Sarah glanced back at him.

"Why?" She countered. Luckily, he'd glanced back down just before she'd caught sight of him, coming off as uninterested would make her less suspicious.

"Just trying to have conversation."

"Clothes." She said. Jareth tensed then, squeezing his paper between his fingertips.

"Oh?" He asked, quirking his voice up an octave and raising a brow that wordlessly accussed her of being full of shit.

"Yea...I wanted some pointers on what to wear."

"If you have any questions, you could have just asked me-"

"Thanks, but, no. I'd rather have a female opinion on those kind of things anyway."

"Is that why you're dressed the way you are, then?" He asked.

"-Yes..." She said, warily, as if preparing herself for another Roldan-brand-critisism. She waited, and was surprised when Jareth then sighed, heavily, as if releiving some great weight from his shoulders. Huh?

"You look incredibly- ...very lovely, today." He said, his voice terse, as if the words were a struggle on his tongue. Sarah didn't quite know how to respond. She drew her brow a little.

"Um...thank you. Roldan was a little less complementative." She added on, to distract from her thank you. Jareth huffed.

"Roldan needs to get over himself."

"What?"

Jareth quirked a brow, as if not realizing what he had said.

"Nothing...so, is that all you talked about?" He asked, changing the subject. Sarah took a deep breath. Did she really want to say this?

"We talked about...things. The Underground...my life here." She murmured, and looked away, shamefully almost. Jareth set his pad of papers on his lap.

"And?" He urged, eager to gain any insight into what ever it was Liana was scheming for. He drew his brow at the way she struggled, her expression twisting discomfortably, before exhaling deeply.

"I know you've told me this, but now I'm telling you. I'm here now, there's no changing that. I need to accept it, try to have a life here. So, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to humor you and Liana, and give this place a chance, give being Queen a chance." She said. With this, Jareth felt an immense sense of ease wash over him. Did she really just say that? Had Liana influenced her to feel that way? Why? He was on the verge of feeling giddy for the furture, when she turned to look him straight in the eye. "With that said, the Underground and you are two different things. I may accept living here, but that has nothing to do with you. Giving the Underground a chance does not mean I am giving _you_ a chance." And with that, Jareth felt a sting from her eyes stong enough to make him wince in response. He sat a litle more rigid, waiting to see if she would continue. His eyes flickered down with her silent glare, and he slowly turned back to his agenda, not willing to acknowledge this moment of defeat.

"...One step at a time." He said, hiding the hurt that came with her stare. He hadn't expected that. He wasn't sure what her demeanor would be after that morning, wasn't sure how she would act after a day without him, after a day with someone else. At least she was admitting she was going to try. At least she wasn't screaming at him. At least she wasn't crying.

Sarah continued to stare at Jareth for a long while, watching as he slowly sunk back into the void of his work. Then she too lowered her eyes, and looked away, resuming her position of gazing out at the fire. She said nothing to him, having nothing to say, and simply joyed in the peace and quiet. In a way, it was solitude, yet she wasn't alone. Tension aside, it was nice, having someone else nearby, and yet not bothering you in the slightest. She liked work-mode Jareth...or maybe he was still being restrained because of last night...

They sat there in silence for a long time, long enough for Sarah's limbs to become stiff and achy. How long did he expect her to stay here? She glanced down to the floor, her eyes tracing the cracks between the floorboards. Could she really complain? This is what she'd wanted, right? Kind of? Maybe? She sighed, and looked out over the rest of the room. He wouldn't let her leave, but no one said anything about having to sit there all night.

She got up, and uncertainly began walking about the room, waiting to see if Jareth would interject. He didn't. He didn't look up or give any acknowledgment of her actions in the slightest. Seriously, it was getting late out and she still had homework to do... She sighed again and mosied on over back to the window, knowing she could stare out it for hours without losing interest.

She stood before it, and peered out over the ledge. It was dark, and foggy; she couldn't see much, but the light from the city lit up the space beyond like a circus of lightening bugs. She leaned her head against the wall, and tried to listen for any sounds of Goblin night life. However she tried, she couldn't hear anything; maybe they were too high up.

She started shifting from foot to foot, her heels really starting to get the better of her. She glanced down to her hands as they splayed over the thick stone of the sill. She then glanced back to Jareth, and got an idea.

She pressd her weight down on her hands, and hoisted herself up onto the ledge, resting her back against the window and her feet out along the sill. Oh, she was so daring. She looked out over the ledge again, and couldn't stop the intrusive thought worming its way through, pegging her to wonder what would happen should she fall. _What would happen?_ She asked herself, again, a litle more seriosuly. _Would I plummet to my death? Would Jareth save me? ... _ She brushed her hair behind her ear as she leaned further and further out over the window. For some reason, something about her and Liana's conversation started to come back to her...

"Enjoying the view?" Jareth asked, his voice sounding much closer than it should have. Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin and out the window, whipping around to find him leaning over her. Her eyes widened, just a few inches away from his. He had one arm leaned up against the window, the other had reached out over her legs.

" *Gasp* My God, what is wrong with you? I could have just fallen out the freaking window!" She yelped, bringing a hand to her chest to help settle her heart. Why did he take such joy in scaring her half to death? He laughed then, a soft rumble deep in his chest. His smile was a coy one, and it was much too close to her own twisting lips.

"I would never let that happen." He affirmed, tilting his head to let it rest against the frame of the window. Sarah thought about squirming away from him, but there was no where to go.

"Oh really? And what if I had slipped when I first got up here?"

"Sarah, I would never let you come to any harm." He said. Sarah scoffed.

"Except from you, you mean?" She snapped. He looked marginally taken aback, but it soon eased.

"If need be. The only pain I would ever allow you to feel will be from my hand and nothing else. That way...it is my burden to bear."

"Oh, how noble and selfless of you, my just and loving husband." She said, harshly, very harshly, and glared away from him, shaking her head in disgust. Jareth frowned. He certainly did think himself selfless and noble to be the one to have to bear both the discomfort of inflicting pain on Sarah, as well as the pain of recieving all of her revoltion for it afterward. He still didn't fully understand her reaction to his discipline. This was the way it was done after all...And besides, he couldn't let anyone else harm her in his stead even if he wanted to.

There posed a significant problem between Sarah and the rest of the world when it came to physical threat, or more specifically at the moment, Roldan. While usually, he would have no issue with Roldan disciplining her, she needed it after all, Sarah could not be threatened. Well, not from anyone besides Jareth, as he held protection over her. But while he was exempt from Liana's wrath, if Sarah felt she were being threatened in any way, by any one else, there would be nothing stopping Liana from intervening, and that was a catastrophe that could not, under any circumstances, ever happen. He and Davion were the only two who knew of Liana's true existance, they were they only two that knew of the deal they'd made. If Roldan ever found out about Liana...let alone Sarah's true purpose? No. That could not happen. And just as he couldn't allow anyone to physically harm her, neither could he let her befall any other manner of physical harm. The whole point of going through the trouble of having her submit to him was to avoid having to kill her...if something ever happened to her...an accident or anything at all...Gods forbid she died somehow...not just she, but any chance of getting his power would be gone. No, he had Sarah protected by every manner of charm and safe keep he knew. If something ever happened...he would know. He would stop it.

All this thinking of tragedy and not-so-overprotectiveness had him growing anxious and brooding, not something he wanted to sink into right now. He closed his eyes briefly, shutting it all out. He could deal with it later, chosing to move past all that quandary for now, and instead tried to distract them both from his dark thoughts. He leaned in a little further-

"You just called me your loving husband." He said, sweet and seductive-like, inching his lips just a centimeter or two from her ear. She shivered all over.

"Ok, no. Let me down." She said, and turned to jump down. For some reason, she thought he might actually listen to her.

She turned to be met face to face with his hooded eyes and that sly, naughty little smile of his. His stance became firmer, and the hand he had placed on the sill over her legs moved to grasp at her thigh.

"Did I mention how lovely you look today?" He practically purred at her. Sarah rose an eyebrow at him. What the hell was this?

"Yes, you did." She answered, trying to ignore the fact that his hand was now kneading up her thigh. His eyes flickered down, probably down the plunging V of her neckline, then slowly rose back up.

"You are very beautiful." He said, and it struck her that there was now no trace of mischeif in his smile to be found. In fact, he looked...sad. His hand tightened around the base of her thigh, and he leaned in those precious few centimeteres to press his face into her hair. She thought she felt the pressure of a kiss, but wasn't sure. "Moon light suits you..." He murmured, and inhaled deeply as he took in the scent of her.

She began to squirm under the weight of his endearments. Normally she...but...no. Not right now. Not tonight. Not after last night... She might not be mad at him anymore, but...

"Jareth, please, let me go." She quietly pleaded, caught somwhere between a rock and a hardplace. She felt him sigh against her neck, and gave in to let him glower there for a minute or two.

"All I want is to make you happy." He whispered, sounding exhausted and worn beyond all repair. Her eyes flickered down, watching his hand as it clenched and reclenched over her thigh, haphazardly pulling on her. For a split-second, she actually caught herself thinking of placing her hand over his, of squeezing her fingers around his just enough to console him, to alleviate some of his troubles. But she didn't. She only frowned instead. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

Sarah felt something snap in the air then. She wasn't sure if it was what he said, or the total sincerity and loss in which he said it, but she now had a pressing urge to get out. She couldn't be here anymore, with him, like this. She needed to break away. No, not tonight. She started fidgeting against him.

"You...you didn't summon me here. That means I can go if I want. You said so yourself." She said, timidly, nervous as to how he would respond. He did have her at the edge of a window after all.

He tensed, and if she had any clue, she would have guessed he actually understood why she needed to leave. He let go over her, and moved away, offering a hand to help her down. She took a step back, awkwardly brushing nonexistant dust from her torso, and kept darting her eyes up to him. He was looking down, towards her, but not really at her. He wasn't really there, lost in some distance thought. That was fine with her, it made her gettaway all the more easy.

"You're right...you're free to go." He said, and without another look to her, made his way back to his chair and his score of spreads and checklists.

At first, Sarah practically skipped to the door, eager to get away. Brooding, emotional Jareth wasn't something she wanted to be around, as she'd come to learn. There was no telling when he may flip the switch and go ape shit on her. But even with this in mind, she found herself standing stiff and hesitant at the door. Something felt...unfinished. What was it? She tried to think, but the answer that came to her was shunned. She shook her head and opened the door. She paused with one foot over the threshold, the plaguing thought refusing to leave. She didn't know why, didn't know where it came from, what possessed her to turn around just then and open her mouth. She had no idea where the thought even came from, or where she found the courage to ask,

"You really want to make me happy?" She let her words linger in the air, just long enough for Jareth to look up at her, their gazes locking. "I need something, Jareth. I need something else...something to look forward to, something to hold on to, to give me hope. I'm not- I'm not asking for today, or tomorrow, or the day after or even ten years from now. I know you won't- I - all I'm asking is for hope, for something to keep me going...hope that maybe...one day...you'll let me see my family again."

Her eyes had lowered as she spoke, but now rose to stare fiercely, fiercely desperate, into Jareth's.

Jareth didn't respond right away, completely thrown by her question. What had possessed her to ask that? What could he even say? There was no way he was ever letting her go. Never. And yet, that wasn't the thought that flared his passion. In that moment, all he could hear, all he could think about, was the voice telling him that this is what will make her happy. That he could grant her this. That she was asking something of him. He could make her happy. He took too long to answer, however, as she darted her eyes away and started shaking her head furiously, smiling down to the floor in shame.

"I-nevermind. I don't know why I just said that. Nevermind. Forget I brought it up. It was stupid. Good night." She said, and turned to walk back through the door. Jareth felt himself lurch from his chair.

"Sarah, wait." He called out, and felt his chest rise when she pressed on.

He was up and on her in a second. His hand thrust out, taking hold of her wrist and jerking her back around. She gasped, and glared confusedly into his eyes, before trying to jerk her arm away from him.

"Do not walk away from me." He commanded, his voice low and rumbling. Sarah's scowl intensified, and she opened her mouth to protest, when his grip loosened tremendously. "Will this make you happy?" He asked, suddenly, trying to get a word in before she started screaming at him to let go of her. It seemed to work, as she stopped her flustering and flickered her eyes out and over him. Her mouth gaped open, but she didn't say anything. Her silence made him anxious for some reason, as if he were desperate for her acceptance. It was her request, but it was _he _who wanted this. He wanted to give her this, badly. It didn't matter what it was, it didn't matter what she wanted, as long as she wanted it of _him_, he would give it to her. If it meant that he could keep her, if it meant he could make her happy, he would give her anything she asked for. "Sarah, I can't... you know I can't... *hard exhale* I've waited too long to have you. I've waited so long to see you again. You are mine and I will not let you go. I can't- I don't know. Not today, not tomorrow, but- if this will make you happy...I will...I will promise it to you. One day...You will see them again." He spoke fast, and wavering, completely out of his element. This was the most important thing, one of the only things, she'd ever asked of him. And he needed to give it to her. He needed her to accept it from him. If only she would smile.

He waited, his hand still clamped around her wrist, his eyes burning her just as fiercly as hers once were. He waited, doing nothing when she frowned, and pulled her arm away. She angled her body away from him, and glanced down to the floor as she thought. When she looked back to him, he saw concern on her face, but he had no idea why.

"Thank you, Jareth." She said, and turned to walk away. He drew his brow on her, not fathoming her reaction. Her dismissal confused him. Hadn't he just given her what she wanted? He reached out for her again, but it was like she was prepared this time, and turned just as his hand took hold of her.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy?" He asked, sounding desperate for the first time since she'd known him.

Her lips twitched, and she shrugged, just slightly. She looked up to him, with those wide beaming eyes of hers, and reached out to grasp his arm. His eyes darted to her hand on his bicep in a flash, confused as she gently caressed him with her thumb, before lowering her arm back down to her side.

"Maybe tomorrow." She said, and for the third and final time, she turned and walked away from him, lost somewhere within the darkness, leaving him wondering what in the world had just happened.

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**A/N- Wooh. Ok. Made it. Hope you all enjoyed, please let me know what you think. And, I promise not to take so long next time...(hmm...maybe I shouldn't put that in writing). Thanks for reading 3. **

**-FGBX**


	13. Rhetoric

**A/N- Hello, long time no see. Got a long one for ya this time, longest yet in fact. Parts one and two again (don't want to overload the site with file sizes) Not much to say at this point, story will go as it goes. Lots of ground to cover. I've been getting a lot of feedback about dark Jareth, where he went and whether or not he is coming back, and all I'll say is that he hasn't left, he's merely having some down time; so for those of you who prefer darker Jareth, I'll ask that you bear with me as this plot arc will be a rocky one. One last thing, as you are all well aware, my stories tend to feature a good amount of sexual content. And...I should probably post a little warning now, there is something towards the end of this chapter that may make some readers uncomfortable. I don't really want to give it away, but it's something I haven't written before and wanted to at least dabble into. With that said, I know it is something a lot of readers aren't into and I get that, so, I'm warning you now to watch out towards the end of part two. You'll see it coming, or at least...I hope. Personally, I don't think it's that bad, but I can't speak for personal preference. Anywayyyyyyy, I'm rambling now, so I'll stop and let you have at it.**

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Chapter 11, Rhetoric

Sarah sighed and rolled onto her stomach. She laid there for a moment, sunken into the plush linen of her bed, before snapping her eyes open in a sudden glare as she heard the unwelcome sound of a door clicking shut. She tried not to groan as she glared at the wall. She was surrounded up to her nose by sheets and blankets, and thought that maybe, just maybe, she might be able to snake her way far enough down the bed to hide herself completely. She heard footsteps next, and briefly wondered if she were starting to develop her own Jareth-radar and thanked it for waking her just in time.

She groaned again and screwed her eyes shut, smothering her pillow as she buried her face in it. _Just five more minutes..._

"Mmmmm what are you doing here?" she growled, tossing herself amidst the knot of her blankets. She didn't look at him, but could sense him nearby. She wondered what kind of expression her comment had twisted his face into.

Jareth slowed at the sound of Sarah's voice, almost wary. She'd left on such a strange note last night, he wasn't sure what this morning would be like. Uncertainty was not a sea he waded often. He narrowed his eyes when she continued to groan and started tossing about. For a moment, he wondered if she were actually sleeping. He stepped up to the bed and leaned against the end post. She stopped her tossing then, laying fixed and rigid on her stomach, as if waiting for him to pounce. For a moment, he was highly considering it. But he merely resided to watch her instead, and it seemed his silence only irritated her, as she then huffed so dramatically he could see her torso lift itself up off the bed. She leaned up on her forearms, and turned back to glare at him.

He couldn't stop the flash of a smirk that stole his lips just then. Her hair was a mess, tangled and humming with static; and her eyes and lips were swollen as if she'd had a very rough night's sleep. There was a rouge to her cheeks, one final touch that only added to the interesting -if not somewhat fervid- image of her groggy morning state. His expression twitched in an effort to mask his amusement; for behind all her tangle, she was still glaring at him.

"It's morning. I came to wake you. I thought you would have caught on by now?" he informed, in as plain a manner as possible. He'd folded his arms over his chest, finding the gesture necessary to maintain his neutral facade. She rolled her eyes and groaned again, glaring away from him this time.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked, rhetorically. Jareth's wry gaze joined hers at the clock.

"Seven-thirty," he answered, and as soon as the words were uttered, her arms gave out and she flopped back down to the bed.

"Exactly. Seven-thirty. It's way too early. I don't have to meet with Roldan till ten-thirty," she murmured into her pillow. Jareth almost huffed at her, his smirk now free to reveal itself now that she was no longer staring daggers at him. Something about her seemed very intriguing this morning. He leaned away from the post and took a few more steps to sit on the edge of the bed, carefully avoiding several pillows, he'd noted, that were thrown about the floor.

"I know. I thought we might have breakfast together," he said.

"The whole point of bartering with Roldan was so that I could actually sleep in."

"It'd be a crime to waste such a nice day by sleeping."

She leaned up at that, turning back to glare at him again.

"I thought you didn't eat breakfast," she retorted, accusingly. Jareth rose an eyebrow at her.

"Alright, I merely wish to join your company. Does that suit you better?" he corrected, sardonically, with a cheeky little sneer to boot. He didn't mind her attitude. For some reason, he was having a blast.

"No," she said, and threw herself into the bed. "I'm tired. I want to sleep," she grumbled, and it was then that Jareth realized she wasn't weighing the enjoyment of breakfast over his company, but instead was just being plain cranky. He found it liberating. Could this be the first morning she wasn't immediately disgusted by, very precisely, _him_?

Sarah grumbled to herself and her pillow. She was so tired. All she wanted to do was close her eyes for just a couple more hours. It was rather late when she'd left Jareth's room the previous night, and had been up until the wee hours of morning trying to finish all of Roldan's readings. How did he expect her to read all that in one night anyway? Aside from the outdated language, it was all hand written. For every sentence she understood, there were three paragraphs she had to comb through at least ten times over. But she'd managed to finish. And now it was her time to relax. She was too exhausted to be angry with Jareth, and actually, truth be told, she wasn't angry with his presence at all. She just wanted some shut eye. Maybe she should ask him to come back later...

"Alright, if that's what you really want," she heard him say, and flexed one of her ears in his direction. She couldn't see him, but had a clear mental image of the way he was staring at her. There was something too calm about the way he'd said that.

"But let me guess, you're not going to leave?"

"No."

She rolled over, brushing the hair away from her face. Her eyesight was fuzzy, so it took her a minute to actually see him.

"I don't know which I find creepier: that you like to watch me sleep, or that you like to watch me eat," she said and pulled the covers up over her face. Jareth's smirk grew a little more. Something was definitely different about her today. While her words were annoyed, he sensed none of the volatile wall she'd put up against him every other morning.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked. She huffed, the small gust of air puffing the blanket over her face like a mini parachute.

"No. I'm exhausted. Please, just one more hour. I'll have breakfast with you then," she tried to compromise, not knowing, nor really caring what his answer would be. Her eyelids felt so heavy. She could feel herself start to drift off...

"Like I said, you're free to go back to sleep. But I'm not leaving."

"Why not?"

"Because we both have rather busy and conflicting schedules. This is the only time I'm guaranteed to see you."

She groaned at him and rolled onto her side.

"I'm not sleeping with you sitting at the end of my bed," she murmured.

"Either you join me at the table, or I'll join you in there," he said, as if warning her. She rolled her head and cocooned herself into a ball of fabric. For some reason, his threat held almost no impact on her.

"Urrrghhhh, fine," she snarled, and sat up, bundle of blanket in tow. She hunched her shoulders and glared at him, though his returning stare was that of unaffected. Her eyes flickered over him, something about his appearance having stood out to her, but she wasn't sure what. He smirked at her, and leaned over the bed, smoothing away the tangles from her face, and was surprised when she didn't move against him in the slightest. Was it him or was she acting more confident? Had Liana been by recently? Maybe it was just her morning stupor.

"I think you could use some coffee," he said, and moved off the bed. Sarah's brow rose. Coffee? Coffee?! Good God, she'd forgotten all about coffee. Her widened eyes followed him as he moved, aware of the new found ease in his strut. But that wasn't the thing that had stood out to her. What was different about him? She couldn't put a finger on it. She sighed one final time, and uncoiled herself from the comforter.

She joined Jareth at the dining table, plopping into her seat with the grace of a lead weight. He cast an eye down at her, but said nothing. She paid his silent scolding no mind, and leaned out over the table, resting her jaw on the heel of her hand as she rung the tiny bell. She peered up to Jareth then, who was still giving her a dangerous eye.

"What? You don't eat breakfast, remember?" she said, and slouched back in her chair. Jareth rolled his eyes.

"I knew your manners were lacking, but am I to assume they are nonexistent in the morning?" he asked, condescendingly.

"Yes," she answered, pouting, and stared at the table until her food came.

It was safe to say that Sarah felt very different this morning. She wasn't anxious like she had been. She wasn't wary, or even cautious of Jareth. Maybe she really was just that groggy, but this morning, she really couldn't care less that Jareth had come to see her. In fact, she had started to expect it, and that meant that in a way she was becoming fine with it -or used to it at least. Maybe it was because Jareth was starting to become less of an unpredictable monster to her. He hadn't flipped switches in a few days. Perhaps he was starting to level out, just as she? Were their natures compromising? Or maybe nothing had changed. Maybe he was just as unpredictable as ever, and she simply had yet to push him passed his limit. Then she remembered his words regarding punishment -that should she misbehave she would be reprimanded, and should she behave she would be rewarded. Was that it? Was this calm and cheerful disposition her a reward for not behaving poorly? What would happen if she did something he deemed bad? Break her wrist again and then move on like it never happened? ...Then he would be cheery again?

Suddenly, it no longer felt like she was enjoying the simplicity of her morning coffee, but rather was sneaking scraps from a sleeping lion. Her thoughts groaned, asking her why she had to question a good thing. Things between her and Jareth were relatively pleasant now. He was being nice, she was getting away with being mouthy, why torture herself with hypotheticals? While she wondered where the line of Jareth's anger was now drawn, if it had changed at all, she knew better than to consciously test it. She rubbed a hand down her face and looked up to Jareth, not surprised to find him already watching her.

"What?" she asked- but before he could answer, both were distracted a door opening to let a waiter Goblin scuttle in, bearing Sarah's breakfast. She called out her thanks as it dashed away, and pouted at the door with her failure. She turned back to Jareth, who seemed to be curious as to whatever lurked beneath the lid to her tray. "How come the Goblins get so freaked out whenever I try to thank them?" she asked. Jareth rose an eyebrow at her, as if distracted with something else.

"That is because your acknowledgement offends them," he stated. Sarah scrunched her brow.

"What? Why would they be offended that I'm thanking them?"

"Because their job is to serve without disruption. When you acknowledge their presence, it signals that they have failed to serve you without interrupting the situation. The more you try to interact with them, the more frustrated and _freaked out_ they will be," he explained. Sarah's puzzled gaze turned towards the table.

"That doesn't make sense to me," she mumbled.

"It's not complicated. If you want to show your gratitude, simply ignore their very existence." He leaned back as he spoke, his body becoming lax and languid. Her contemplative eyes flickered up to him, reacting to his movement. That was when she figured it out -what was so different about him -it was his clothes. He was wearing a very thin white shirt today -and that was it- no vest or jacket or gloves or accessories. Just a shirt. And a baggy one at that. The buttons on his cuffs were undone, leaving the sleeves wide and billowing. She wondered why he was so underdressed.

"Hmm...strange," she murmured to herself, pulling her mind away from his attire, and turned her attention to her food instead, though much too aware of Jareth's reaction once she removed the lid.

"What is that?" he asked, sounding very much intrigued and, dare she say, maybe even a little bit excited. She peered up to him with a smirk; his expression was priceless.

"Waffles. What, haven't you ever had waffles?" she asked, mockingly. Jareth seemed to know so much about certain aspects of the Aboveground, and yet be completely baffled by others. Surely he knew what waffles were?

"Um, no," he said. She wanted to snicker at the hesitance in his voice. Instead, however, she merely began loading up her plate. She didn't ask, but with a sly little smile, began loading up one for him as well.

"Here, you look like you want it," she said, and slid him a plate. Ironically, Sarah found it was she who was now watching him eat, simply because it was so damn amusing. She'd never seen him look so out of place. "Do you want any syrup?" she asked.

"If that is how it is prepared," he answered, and secretly reveled in the smile he'd caused to appear on her face. She shook her head, her eyelids still heavy, and poured some over his plate.

"You said something about coffee?" she quirked, not pausing before digging into her food. Jareth snapped his fingers and a steaming pot appeared. "Thanks," she said, as he poured and handed her a cup.

They were silent after that, but Jareth had never been more attentive. She was being so docile and -friendly. What happened? What changed? Could it have really been their conversation that leveled out her demeanor? He was both wary and curious, eager to push her limits, yet fearful that he might push too far and ruin this rather charming new demeanor of hers. He compromised by saying nothing.

"So...engagement party," Sarah projected in-between chews. Jareth rose his brow a little. She rose one of hers in return. "Were you ever planning on telling me there was going to be an engagement party?" she clarified.

"It hadn't occurred to me to tell you," he said.

"Why?"

"I hadn't thought it too important."

She pursed her lips at him.

"Well I do. ...Could you explain it to me? What will it be like, compared to the wedding?" she asked. Jareth quirked a brow at her.

"Wouldn't you rather ask Roldan that?" he countered.

"Not really. You are supposed to be my husband after all."

Jareth's eyes flickered down at that, still not able to fathom that she actually wanted to talk about their wedding at all. Maybe he had underestimated her.

"The majority of attendants will be at the celebration, whereas only a few select guests will be at the actual wedding."

Sarah seemed to perk up in her seat as he explained, or maybe it was just the coffee.

"How come?"

"Given my position, only the other seven seats of the council and their respected families will be at the wedding; though our engagement celebration will be open to the entire aristocracy." Sarah nodded at this.

"I see...So I have three weeks to learn everything, huh?" Jareth gave her more of his attention then.

"Basic behavior anyway. Think you can manage?" he asked, mockingly. She rose him a challenging eyebrow.

"Yes, actually. From what Roldan showed me yesterday, it doesn't seem all that difficult."

"We'll see," Jareth added, as he took a sip from his cup. Sarah glared a little. Did he really not have faith in her? Or was he goading her for some reason? Either way, jerk.

"Will there be Goblins at the party, or just Fae?" she asked.

"No."

"No? That doesn't answer my question."

"No, there will not be Goblins. And no, there will not be just Fae," he clarified, and locked gazes when noticing the annoyed glare she was giving him. Apparently, her patience ran thin in the AM as well. "There are a number of races that inhabit this realm, a variety of which will be in attendance." There, that seemed to sate her.

"Really? Like what?"

"I'm not your teacher. Ask Roldan."

She huffed and looked away from him, and soon started tapping her fingers against the table impatiently. Why wouldn't he just tell her things? What was the big deal? His eyes watched her vigorous little fingers like a metronome. She wasn't sure how long it was until she looked at him again.

"Can I go take a shower?" she asked.

"You don't need my permission," he said, and leaned back in his chair, thankful that her question had deterred him from his daze. She didn't respond, but merely left the table to do as she said.

He watched her as she moved about the room. It was strange -not sensing any of the trepidation he had been sensing from her every other morning. She'd always made a mad dash into the washroom as soon as possible, but now she took her time, actually making the effort to pick out her garments rather than just the first thing she saw. She stood facing into the armoire, her hands on either wing of the doors, as she leaned into it. He couldn't see her face, but his eyes scanned over the rest of her, starting with her nimble little fingers gripping the door, all the way down to her dainty little feet, currently standing on tip toe as she searched for whatever it was she was looking for. A breeze from the window swayed the skirt of her nightgown around her silhouette. He found his head tilting to one side as he examined the curve of her back as it swelled to her rear and then smoothed down her thighs. He took a deep breath, imagining how strong and succulent her body would be if it fought with him rather than against him. He could see the muscles in her calves flex as she shifted about. How shameful it was, to know that she had the power to overtake him with such a trivial gesture. He felt a shiver run up his spine, and shook his head clear of any more fantasies. By the time he looked up again, she was already staring him down, though now she looked -uncertain.

"Um...I have a question," she said, timidly. He rose his brow to her, admittedly surprised with her interjection. She took his expression as a green light, and turned back to face her closet, biting her lip anxiously as she stared at it. "Yesterday...Liana showed me all kinds of dresses and things in here. Why can't I find any of them now?" Jareth sat up a little in his seat.

"Were you looking to wear a dress today?" he asked, sounding a bit incredulous. Sarah winced, reflexively.

"Wha? No. No, I was just looking through and realized that none of the dresses Liana showed me are in here." Jareth leaned forward, as if to stand.

"Well, that would be because your closets conform to whatever you are seeking."

She drew her brow on him.

"Huh?"

"You've been fairly adamant about wearing trousers over dresses, so, if you haven't noticed yet, the closet has been filling itself to your tastes. If you should ever wish to wear something less androgynous, your dressers will provide it for you," he explained. Sarah pursed her lips and looked back to the closet. Hm, that all made sense -all the somewhat modern underthings and such. She'd been wondering about that (if Jareth had really picked all of that out for her), and was relieved to find out it had been done magically. Her thoughts went on a brief tangent then, something else coming to mind.

"Is the bathroom the same way?" she heard herself asking, and then found herself double thinking it when his expression became somewhat confused.

"The bathroom?" he repeated. Sarah's grip on the door to the armoire tightened, feeling a little awkward now. But there was no turning back.

"Yea...the...um...utilities -in the bathroom. Did they put themselves there, or did you do it?" she asked, sounding somewhat embarrassed. He regarded her shrewdly.

"Something's making you uncomfortable...so I will simply say that I had nothing to do with what ever stock you have behind that door."

While his answer should have put her at ease, it only made her blush, as he now had reason to be curious about whatever was in the bathroom. He'd always respected her privacy when she was in the bathroom, and she feared that that luxury might be threatened if he had any reason to want to venture inside. Well, at least she knew he wasn't the one who had stocked her up on tampons and razors. Speaking of which...she was s'posed to get her period soon...She'd have to keep better track of the days.

"Oh, well that's handy," she said, with an awkward false smile, and moved away from the closet.

"Anything else in need of clarification?" he asked, simply making fun of her at this point. Sarah stopped mid-stride.

"Uh, no," she piped, and then disappeared into the washroom.

She emerged right on schedule, fresh and clean and damp haired. She wondered: if the bathroom conformed to her desires, why there wasn't a hair dryer? Then she thought about electricity, and realized there were no outlets in the Underground. Hmm...

She crossed the threshold clad in more tight pants and boots. She looked over, and saw Jareth leaning out the window. A breeze was rustling his hair, and the bright morning sun illuminated his face. She tried not to pay too much attention. He turned, and rose an eyebrow at her.

"You may want to change into something else," he advised. She narrowed her eyes and looked down over herself.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked, mildly offended. Jareth turned, and began haphazardly rolling up his sleeves.

"Nothing. But you are rather bundled. It's going to be hot out today," he answered, and moved away from the window. Sarah scowled at the back of his head, not having the will power to find something temperature appropriate that Roldan would approve of -not that she cared for Roldan's approval, she just didn't want to deal with his attitude.

"So...you said we won't be seeing much of each other?" she quirked, trying not too sound too excited about that -while truthfully, she wasn't really sure how she felt about it. Jareth paused in his step and glanced back. His pose struck her for a moment. He had a nice backside.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure we see each other whenever possible," he said, haughtily, and turned to continue his venture across the room. He traveled around the bed, and stopped in front of her vanity. She watched him anxiously. He looked down and ran a finger over the small wooden box containing her eternal flowers. "Where did you get these?" he asked.

Sarah blanched. What should she do? Could she try lying to him? What would she say? What if she told the truth? What would happen if she reminded him of her friends? She panicked in that moment, oblivious to his expectant stare. She blinked a few times, trying to formulate some kind of speech.

"A friend gave them to me," she answered.

"Of all the things to bring with you, you chose a box of flowers?"

"They were from a very close friend."

He flipped the latch and opened it.

"These are from the Underground," He stated, though more to himself than to her. She grew more worried then, the tone of his voice having told her he already knew that. He closed the box and looked up to her. "Do you know what kind of flowers these are?" he asked, and for a moment, she wondered what kind of trap he was setting.

"No."

"They're Amaranthine -quite symbolic. Whoever gave them to you must care a great deal for you," he said, and moved away from the vanity as if dismissing the entire conversation. Sarah's gaze grew wide and puzzled. What the heck was that? She stood there, on the threshold to the bathroom, dumbfounded, watching him intently as he moved to sit on the couch beside the fire place. How freaking random. And no inquisition? She thought he would have been more interested... She moved precariously to join him on the couch.

She sat on the opposite end, and began combing her fingers through the damp ends of her hair, needing something to occupy the awkward space between she and Jareth.

"So, did you sleep well? For what little of it you had?" he asked, casually sprawling out on his end of the couch. Sarah stole a peek at the clock. It was barely nine-thirty.

"Yes, actually. Like a rock. It's amazing how well one can sleep when their dreams are not being invaded," she said, snarkily. Jareth sneered at her, the first sign of deviancy all morning.

"You'd be surprised how well one could sleep if they would allow their dreams to be invaded," he retorted, sinisterly. Sarah tried not to react to it. She waited an awkward minute, before turning to him and changing the subject completely.

"So, how go the renovations in the Sulu District?" she asked, sounding so sure and confident that she knew exactly what she was talking about. The topic of business seemed to alter Jareth's demeanor away from something mischievous to a manageable casualty. He crossed an ankle over his knee as he turned to her.

"It's only been a few days. We're still in budgeting," he informed. Sarah pursed her lips and looked down in a half nod.

"Oh," was all she could say. Jareth smiled at her discomfort. She was trying to make small talk now. Wonderful. "So, you had Liana repair the city wall?" She added on, oblivious to Jareth's grin as it fell dead from his face.

"What?"

"Liana told me you had her repair the wall. She said it was faster and easier if she did it," she said. Her explanation eased him somewhat, but had still caught him off guard.

"Ah...yes," he said, slowly. He wasn't completely ready when she turned to face him, placing both hands on the seat of the couch as she leaned closer to him.

"So you talk to her often then?" she asked, with a sudden flare of energy. Jareth tensed just slightly, processing different courses of action within nanoseconds.

"When I need to."

"You see her a lot?"

"When I need to. Why so many questions?" he asked, in a small effort to turn things around on her. She eased back a bit.

"I'm just...trying to figure out who she is. Does she live in the castle?" Jareth shifted away, trying to come off as indifferent.

"I can't very well keep her out, so it doesn't really matter."

"Why can't you keep her out?"

"Because she's very pesky," he said, crinkling his nose as if joking, though very much cloaking his own dark and suspicious demeanor. She shook her head away from him.

"Why won't you just tell me who she is?" she spoke, as if proclaiming it to the heavens.

"Do you feel threatened by her?" he asked. Her expression twitched then, as if seriously contemplating his question.

"N-no," she said, and looked over to hold his gaze. "But I would still like to know who she is. It's weird. And I'm sick of not being told anything."

"As long as you feel safe, the rest shouldn't matter. You know she helps me secure the Labyrinth, and she seems to have taken a liking to you, what more do you need to know?" He was treading carefully now, conscious though unsure of how or what he should say to her. If he was smart, he would try to deter Sarah from Liana, but as things stood, he still wasn't sure if Liana was friend or foe. And she did seem to be helping Sarah as far as her acclimation went... No, he needed more insight before making any solid decisions regarding how to deal with Liana. He looked up when Sarah sighed, and sagged her shoulders as she glanced off at nothing.

Sarah rested her chin on her hand as she stared out over the scenery, feeling content to have finished her conversation with Jareth for the time being. She sighed, wondering how much longer it was until she had to go find Roldan. The more she thought about it, the more she began to dread it. While it was true she was eager to learn all she could about the Underground, she knew that such knowledge could only work to her advantage, a boring history lesson was still a boring history lesson. And after the rough introduction she'd had last night, she knew exactly what she was in for in today's lesson. Hm, maybe Jareth would write her a sick note? Ha! She couldn't believe she'd even thought that. How ludicrous. She smirked at nothing, well aware, but not ready to question her new, more sated state of mind. She felt something more than just rested. She tried to think back, recalling her rather dreary conversation with Jareth the night before.

She had no idea why she'd asked him that, had absolutely no idea where it came from. It was like it wasn't even her voice, but someone else's. But whatever the cause, it seemed to work. She'd never seen Jareth so caught off guard. Was he being serious? Did he really mean it when he'd said he'd let her see her family again? How would that even work? And when? She tried not to cling to it, knowing that, if anything, she probably wouldn't see them for a very, very long time. But, just having that hope, that possibility, it somehow made living here that much easier. True, she had uttered an edict of acceptance last night, but not even then had she felt true conviction in her words. Did his words really give her the closure she needed?

Her eyes roamed over toward the window. The sun was bright, and the landscape was warm and green. She could hear birds chirping, and other strange sounds of the outside world. It was beautiful to her. Everything, even the room around her, looked more beautiful now. She took a deep breath, reaffirming Liana's words that this world was hers for the taking. She guessed that started in about 15 minutes, in the west drawing room.

"What are you thinking about?" She twitched when she heard Jareth's voice, breaking through her daze. She flickered her eyes down and shrugged.

"Just how nice it must be outside." He was about to say something when she then looked up, her eyes gluing themselves to the clock. "Oh, wow. I gotta go," she said, quickly gathering her books and making her way to the door without another look to Jareth. She was about to reach for the handle, but was rudely cut off by Jareth beating her to it. She didn't flinch once when he flung the door open for her, his shirt brushing up against her arm.

"So eager. Such enthusiasm has me considering whether or not I should excuse you of this morning's rudeness," he said, with amusement, but she could hear some of the scold in his voice. He placed a hand at the small of her back and pushed her out into the hall -the force of which solidified her idea that he _was_ being serious. She looked up to him once the door was shut behind her, and realized just how offended he really was. His gaze was intense on hers, as if restraining some pointless lecture or disapproval for leaving without being dismissed. She began to purse her lips, his stare alone making her want to reconcile. He smirked at her struggle, and decided on something better. He reached up and clawed his hands around either side of her face, harshly, and planted a rough kiss smack on her lips. Her eyes widened, and she jerked on reflex, but he was one step ahead, and pushed her away from him so she stumbled back. "Have a fun day at school," he said, and before she could work in a glare, he was gone. She huffed, and wiped his saliva from her mouth.

"Ugh, ass," she grumbled, and no sooner headed off into the darkness of the corridor.

* * *

The time she spent with Roldan went as expected. He was his usual, grumpy self, and seemed to condescend her for every little thing. She didn't let it bother her though, having started to learn that that was just him. They went over her reading, finding it easy to slide into Roldan's teaching style. It was just like high school. _ Ehh... _ They started out with the history of the Underground -meaning the life and reign of King Orpus, the original High King of the Underground. From there they went through the time of his death, and what that meant for the realm. She remembered some of this from the book she'd read in Jareth's library a few days back, and actually succeeded at impressing Roldan with her random tid-bits of knowledge. She was right in thinking that the king had no heirs, and so when he died the realm was split amongst the most prominent lords and ladies under his rule; after a war here and there, this came to be known as the council of 8, which consisted of the kingdoms - Erastor, Yore (those she knew), the Plains of Jeju, Meyhaven, the Ironmey, the Isles of Masoch, the Shadow Lands, and finally, at the center of it all, the Goblin Kingdom.

Next came geography, something of which Roldan was only too glad to inform her there would be a test on later that week. They then started to go through each history of the 8 kingdoms immediately following the dissolution of the prime monarchy.

They took a break for lunch and practiced more of the same social etiquette, which was followed by more in-depth dance lessons, and finally concluded with the assignment of yet more homework. She tried not to groan. Actually, she didn't try at all. Her groans were very much apparent. Roldan scolded her, saying that such slouching and noises were unbecoming of someone of her stature. She responded by rolling her eyes.

It was almost five by the time she made it back to her room, with a new stack of books in tow. She glared with distaste as she set the mound down on an end table. _Tonight, we'll be learning about the coronation of King Ruben of Yore. And why is this important? Well, hopefully you'll figure it out when you read through chapter ten. Bah! Screw chapter ten! _ She wanted to holler and whine at the dusty pile of books. She had no idea why they made her so angry, but they did. Ugh. She couldn't look at them anymore. She needed a distraction.

She stood in the center of the room, hands on hips as she surveyed it. She was alone, no Jareth or Liana in sight. _Hmm...what to do, what to do. _ It was only five o-clock, she still had half the day left. She should take advantage of it before Jareth showed up. _Hmm..._

She heard chirping from the window, and caught sight of the bright rays of light beaming into her room. It reminded her of how hot she was, wearing full-length black trousers with leather boots. Jareth was right, it turned out to be a scorcher today. Maybe she should have just listened to him and changed then. She pursed her lips as she thought, and it wasn't long until something wonderful came to mind.

She walked over towards her dresser and tapped a finger against the handle before opening it. _Hm, he said it produces what ever I want... _She tried to think, very precisely, before opening the drawer, and almost hopped up and down with glee when she was met with what she had been hoping for. She looked around the room, as if her poor human vision would be able to spot any peeping Tom's lurking in the shadows. She turned back to the dresser and quickly shucked her shirt, replacing it with a workout bra and tank top. She turned to head to the armoire in search of some shorts and sneakers, and felt so victorious when she found what she wanted. She shimmied into her shorts in a flash, almost falling over as she shucked off her boots one after the other. She'd just pulled on a pair of socks, and turned to grab her shoes out of the closet, but almost flew to the moon and back when faced with the obstacle that met her.

Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin, and was sure her hair stood on end as she just barely avoided collision with Jareth as he stood, leaning with arms crossed, against her armoire. She brought a hand to her chest and doubled over slightly.

"Good God," she whispered, glaring up at him as she tried to catch her breath. "Do you have to do that?" she added in a snarl.

His smirk was unwavering, and his stance never more dominant.

"I wasn't trying to be stealthy. You were simply too focused to notice," he said, all haughty and amused. Sarah straightened, her glare easing only slightly. How long had he been there? How much had he seen? She could have sworn she just checked to see if anyone was there...

"I thought you were busy? What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice too breathy to demand. Jareth pushed himself from the dresser and took a step towards her. She took a precautionary step back.

"I just ran into Roldan. He said you were finished for the day, so I thought I would check up on you," he said, all innocent-like. Sarah didn't back down.

"Ok, so here I am. Mission accomplished," she said, and grew anxious when he cocked his head to one side, his eyes sharpening on her.

"What are you wearing?" he asked, as if just now noticing her strange apparel. She looked down over herself and shrugged nonchalantly.

"A tank top. It's hot out." His smile began to stretch.

"You look very sporty. Planning on going somewhere?" he asked, with a kind of highhandedness that made him seem like a lion about to pounce on his prey. Sarah pursed her lips and shelved her fists firmly on her hips.

"Yes, actually. I thought I might go for a run," she said. He took a small step closer at her comment.

"A run?" he repeated, quirking an eyebrow as he spoke. Sarah narrowed her eyes, holding her stance.

"Yes. You've had me cooped up in this stuffy old castle for how long now? I haven't worked out in over a week. I'm going nuts," she explained -which was the truth. She'd been thinking about what Jareth had said regarding her having pent up frustration, that was probably due to her lack of exertion. This made sense to her, though she preferred far different means of exertion than that of Jareth's. She needed a good run, something to wear her out and clear her mind. And she needed the fresh air, the open space, the sun. Yeah...this idea just kept getting better and better.

"So you were planning on just waltzing out of the castle without telling anyone?" he asked.

"You mean telling or asking?" she countered. Jareth rose her a challenging eyebrow.

"You don't need permission to exercise. Though, I would prefer it if you found the means to do so within the castle walls," he said. She wanted to stomp her foot at him.

"No way. I'm not jogging around the dark and dingy tunnels of this castle. I need fresh air. I need to be outside."

"Again, you were planning on leaving the castle grounds without telling anyone?" he repeated. Sarah's stern gaze wavered for just a second. Hm.. he did kinda have a point.

"I hadn't really gotten that far yet. If you would have allowed me to finish dressing, I probably would have tried to find you and let you know."

"Oh, well thank you for that hypothesis," he snarked. Sarah scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to move so I can get my shoes? Or are you here to tell me I can't go?" she asked. Jareth narrowed his eyes.

"I see you're still missing your manners," he said, with some warning. Sarah crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well I'm sorry. I'm just trying to do what you and Liana keep saying and start taking advantage of whatever it is this place and my position has to offer me. I was just going for a run. I wasn't going to run away."

The stern sincerity in Sarah's statement struck Jareth in a way she didn't notice. His darkening aura faded instantly, blindsided by her first real demonstration that she _was in fact_ trying to accept her new life, to embrace it even, in whatever roundabout way. He had to blink it all away for the time being however, noticing she was still glaring at him.

"And where exactly were you planning on running?" he asked, and smirked when she blanched. Apparently, she hadn't thought of that either.

"I don't know. The Labyrinth maybe. I could get a good workout running around that thing for a few hours."

Something dark and intimidating lowered over Jareth just then, causing a shift so sudden and dramatic it became palpable to her. She thought over her words, wondering if she'd said something wrong.

"I don't want you going anywhere near the Labyrinth," he stated, his voice strong and coarse as if he were angry. Why would he be angry? She worried her eyes on him.

"Um, ok then," she said, and angled her body away from him, concerned. He saw this reaction from her, and quickly altered his own.

"It still isn't safe. And besides, you shouldn't be frolicking about the Labyrinth without an escort, and I don't have time to watch over you," he said.

She took offense to that.

"I think I managed well enough the first time, when I was bumbling about without a clue as to what I was doing."

"And you would recall all the assistance I granted you, then." She started to glare at him again.

"What assistance? You did all you could to throw me off." Her voice was growing a little louder now, but Jareth only smiled. What was so damn funny?!

"Please. If I really wanted to stop you from solving that maze you would have never even found the front door." Sarah's chest began to puff up, aggravated with the arrogant look in his eye.

"Ok, how was it that you helped me then?"

"Who do you think sent the Dwarf to escort you? Or did you forget that those friends of yours were still my subjects." He'd moved to cross his arms over his chest in a smug gesture as he looked down his nose at her. Sarah's glare only intensified.

"They helped me because they were my friends. Or did you forget that they rebelled against you." Now, all this time she had been so worried about what he would do should she bring up her friends -but, he'd been the one to bring them up, which meant he still obviously remembered them, which meant they were safe. Something was up, and she needed to figure out what.

Jareth actually laughed then, a noise that escaped as if on reflex. Its outburst made her more angry.

"Sarah...please. You really think my subjects would turn against me so easily?"

Sarah's narrowed eyes turned suspicious then...

"I don't understand. They went against you. You tried to stop us. You sent the entire guard on us for Pete's sake!" She threw her hands up in the air, exasperated, and unable to fathom just exactly what it was he was revealing to her. -What was he revealing to her? Jareth grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

"If my royal guard were really that incompetent, I would have been conquered long ago," he said, letting the silence stretch as his words sank into her psyche. He stood over her, reveling in the way she fumed before him. She was still so ignorant...he'd never thought about it, but he couldn't believe she actually thought she defeated him.

"Then what- what are you talking about? Why are you looking at me like that? You're telling me my friends were working for you the entire time? Right up till the end?" she asked, furious and confounded all at once. Jareth rolled his eyes down to the tiny wooden box on her vanity.

"Does that surprise you?" he asked, with a wickedly sardonic grin curling one end of his lips.

"But-but-"

"Did you think it coincidence that you happened to run into an ally just when you needed one? Did you ever think that maybe I told them where to go, what to do, how to act? To make sure you made it to my castle under any circumstances?"

Sarah just blinked, unable to think. How could that be true? Her friends...that would mean that all this time, her friends were lying to her, keeping this secret from her. Was that why they were never punished? Because Jareth had told them to help her? Why?!

"Why would you do that? You wanted Toby. That's how you get your Goblins."

"What?"

"Your Goblins. They're humans who you kidnapped and turned into Goblins."

This time, Jareth just blinked at her, as if not having any clue as to what she was talking about.

"And where did you hear that?" he asked. Sarah's eyes widened in disbelief.

"From the book that told me about the Labyrinth in the first place!" she shrieked. How could he not remember? What was even going on right now?! Jareth thought a moment, as if recalling some long distant memory.

"Ah, yes. That book. I almost forgot."

"You forgot? How could you forget? I thought that was how you lured people to the Underground."

"Lure you, maybe," he said. Sarah took a step back, not sure what to do.

"What are you talking about? You're saying you don't turn children into Goblins?" she asked, mortified. Jareth began shaking his head, a smile hiding within the golden locks of his hair.

"Sarah...really now. You honestly think I spend my free time stealing humans and teaching spoiled little girls important life lessons?" he asked, with laden mockery. Sarah was getting so worked up she could feel her sinuses swelling. Everything she had thought about her run, everything about Jareth and her friends, the Goblins and this entire place, it was unraveling before her very eyes. What really happened back then? What did it have to do with now?

"Then where did the book come from? Why did you have me run? Why help me?" she asked, but with a tone that was blatantly accusatory.

"I made it, for you."

"Why?" she asked, in horror. Jareth seemed to pause before answering, even looking downwards out of the corner of his eye as he thought of a response.

"Because I was bored."

Sarah's horrified glare turned into a frown, and she could actually feel the fight draining from her body. Why was she so shocked by this? Why was she so...so _hurt_ by it?

"You were bored?" she asked, her voice raising about three octaves with sheer outrage. Jareth didn't seem to understand.

"Initially. You intrigued me. When you wished your brother away...what can I say? I just fell head over heels," he said, with a wide sneer and a twinkle in his eye. She took his words for volatile sarcasm, and did all she could to maintain her composure. "So, I bargained with you, played a little game. And yes, I watched over you, made sure you were safe, helped along as best I could. I wanted to see you win, or at least I wanted to see you try."

"What would have happened if I lost? What would have happened to Toby?" she asked. Jareth looked at her, and rose his brow as he rolled his eyes dismissively.

"You wouldn't have. I made sure of it."

"What about Toby!"

"I told you, it was never about the boy. I had my sights set solely on you," he said, and took the one final step that would close the gap between them. She was looking away from him, so he placed his hands on either side of her face and angled her back to him, making sure he locked into her gaze. "Why are you so upset? One would think this knowledge would put you at ease. I never planned to keep your brother, and I certainly never planned on turning him into a Goblin."

She looked into his eyes, saw their sincerity, and combined with the feel of his bare hands against her cheeks, began to settle down.

"Why then? What were you trying to accomplish by putting me through all that?" she asked, desperately. Jareth cocked his head to one side, as if the answer to that question were so obvious it didn't require being said -while the truth of the matter was far different. His thoughts muttered _-I needed you to win. I needed to fool her, so I could kill you and take it back_- but what came out was,

"You know what I wanted."

Sarah's eyes darted away, overwhelmed by the intensity of his. She couldn't help it, but as soon as he spoke the memory of the Escher room shot to the forefront of her mind. Yes...she knew what he wanted. But, he let her go...

"Then how was I able to leave?" she asked. Jareth's fingers re-tensed against her face, but she saw no significance to this.

"Because the magic of our bargain allowed you the freedom to leave, something I overlooked," he said, and lied -partially. The only reason Sarah was allowed to leave that night was because Jareth had decided, in that last minute, not to kill her; and only through her refusal was Liana able to whisk her away from him, to keep her hidden for years. The memory was still fresh in his mind, and an unpleasant one at that. He'd made such a mistake that night. But he would correct it now, and in the time to come. He had to.

"And my friends?" she asked, now confident that they were not in mortal danger.

"I had them keep in contact with you, since I was not able to approach you myself."

She pulled away from him then, disgusted.

"So they lied to me? All these years, they were secretly spying for you?" she asked, appalled. Jareth saw just how upset she was, and thought this to be a good opportunity to win some favor.

"No," he stated, and reached out for her box of flowers, opening it to her. "These flowers hold great significance. They never die, never wilt. They are only given to those we cherish most, as a symbol of undying love and friendship. They would not have given them to you should the sentiment not have been true."

Sarah winced and shook her head.

"But they lied to me. How do I know- ...the whole time they were reporting back to you," she said. Jareth's brow drew tight as he set the box back in it's place.

"No...actually, they weren't reporting back to me," he murmured, to himself it seemed.

"What?"

"Your...protection, that you garnered from our bargain...somehow stretched to them as well. I could not approach them either. So, I was forced to settle with the knowledge that they were at least present in your life, keeping your belief strong, making sure you were safe," his voice trailed off as he spoke -everything he said was true. He may have put a spin on it and left out some key details, but what he had said was true. She didn't need to know of his attempt to hunt them all down once she'd left, nor of his attempt to hunt her down as well... He shied away from those thoughts, remembering that the ward was down from them as well -but, he didn't really care. Sarah was back and finally his. The creatures didn't matter. They'd done their job, so to speak. He brought his attention back to Sarah to find her still looking flighty and upset. "Sarah-" he began to say, but was cut off when she moved passed briskly, heading straight for the armoire. She didn't look at him, focusing intently on sliding on her shoes.

"I need to go. I need to run. To just -clear my head or something," she looked up to him then with wide, frustrated eyes. "Please."

Jareth narrowed his eyes, not quite sure why she was still upset.

"You're still upset."

"Yes, I'm upset. You just told me everything I thought I knew about my -our- past was a lie, that my friends were keeping a huge secret from me all these years. So yes, I am very upset. Now please, let me go," she pleaded. What she didn't tell him, however, was the main reason she was upset, that being, that the possibly of contacting her friends was maybe the only plausible means of her ever escaping -if she ever had the courage to try. But now, knowing they were still loyal to Jareth- friendship or not, if they were still working for him, why would they try to help her get away? No, they would want her to stay. She tried to keep her emotions under control as she forced on her shoes.

"If it's any consolation, they were forbidden to speak of any of it, under penalty of death."

"It isn't," she answered, and moved away from him as if about to leave the room. He caught her by the wrist.

"And where are you off to? I don't think we decided on a destination for you, yet."

She stopped and turned back around.

"I don't want to run in the castle. And I won't go near the Labyrinth if it isn't safe. I'll run a couple blocks around the city-"

"That will not be appropriate," Jareth interjected.

"Why not?"

"I can't have the Queen prancing around, unattended, dressed like that," he said. Sarah glared, unwittingly responding perfectly to Jareth's goading. Anger over something trivial would distract her from her turmoil -he gave himself a mental pat on the back.

"Dressed like what exactly? I thought you didn't care about the way I dressed?" she asked, going on the offensive, and tried pulling her wrist away from him -she failed. His grip tightened on her, and jerked her so she stumbled towards him.

"I don't, as long as you are decently covered."

"What about me isn't decently covered?"

"Nothing actually, but...whatever it is you're wearing, it isn't appropriate to be seen in, in the capital square of all places. You're a Queen, you have an image to present to the public."

"Ok, short shorts are bad for PR, got it. So, do you have any other ideas?" she asked, rather hastily. Jareth smirked, and let her go just as the world changed.

* * *

Sarah blinked, and stepped about in a circle as she gazed at her new surroundings. She brought her now free hand up to her chest, and was wringing the other around her wrist, but was otherwise unaware of any pain his grip may have caused her.

She marveled in the open air. She had no idea where they were, but the ground was dusty and the sky was a bright blue, with no trace of cloud in sight. She stepped further away from Jareth and looked around some more. They were in a type of alley, with high stone walls lining the path they were on for miles. It reminded her of the first part of the Labyrinth. This place however, was in much better upkeep. She turned her head, her ears having caught the noises of hustle and bustle just on the other side of the wall. Finally, she turned back to Jareth, her melancholy wiped away as if it were never there.

"Where are we?" she asked, a bright beaming smile lighting up her face. She could hear birds flying over head, and felt a light breeze brush against her face. Jareth shifted, and rolled his sleeves up passed his elbows. It was much hotter out here than in the castle.

"This is a merchant alley separating the castle from the city," he informed, and pointed down the path. "This pathway spans around the entire castle grounds. Should be plenty enough space for you to -exert- yourself."

Sarah turned and looked down both sides of the path. This was great, simply marvelous.

"So..the city is on the other side of the wall?"

"Yes. But they can't see you, and you can't see them," he said, and just as he finished the last word, he turned, glancing back as something that registered to Sarah as marching began to echo from around a corner. A moment later, a small battalion of guards appeared. Sarah looked on in confusion.

"What are they for?" she asked.

"This may be safer, but you still need surveillance, and I have work to get back to."

"Wait- you mean they have to follow me around?" she asked, pointing a nasty finger at the masked guard.

"That is generally how one is protected," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. A breeze picked up then, blowing his hair off to one side, as well as the collar of his shirt. She kept her eyes off of him.

"You seriously expect me to run around with these things trailing alongside me?" she asked.

"Is that repulsion I hear in your voice? Come now, I thought you adored my subjects," he said, teasingly. Sarah tried not to wince.

"No, it's not that. It's just extremely awkward to try to have a serious work out with a bunch of Goblins in chain-male riding those -things- alongside me. Please, I'll be fine on my own. I don't need them."

Jareth rose a deadly eyebrow at her, as if her words proposed some grand challenge. She saw this, and took half a step back.

"Perhaps we can come to some kind of compromise, then," he said, and stepped towards her, hands on hips. She tried not to notice the way the sun made his skin glow. She looked down, away from his chest, but it didn't help. Now her eyes were glued to his bare forearms, a part of him she'd never seen. She could see the veins in his hands and wrists, and the light blonde hair that dusted his forearms. For a moment, she even caught herself counting his beauty-marks.

"What kind of compromise?" she asked, warily, knowing what happened the last time she made a deal with Jareth. His chest rose as he took in a breath, something that Sarah was all too aware of.

"How about this: if we can come to an agreement, I will send the guard into the shadows, to watch over you from somewhere you can't see. That way you won't be bothered or made to feel awkward. Also," He added on, his voice darkening into a sinuous drawl. She knew that tone. She knew that look, that creeping grin. She started to draw her brow in worry, and rose her arms to protect herself. He was very, very close all of the sudden. "If you comply with the terms set, I will leave you alone. I will not bother you once, and you may stay out as long as you wish. How does that sound?" he asked, his tone light and gentle as if appeasing a child. Sarah's eyes flickered out and over him. His stance radiated something dangerous.

"What do you want?" she asked, timidly. His smile widened.

"A kiss."

* * *

"A what?" Sarah asked, confounded. That was one of the last things she expected him to say. It was far too simple, and far too...PG. She took a step away from him.

"You heard me. I want you to kiss me," he repeated, his chest starting to vibrate as he laughed to himself. Her colorful reaction was as expected. She looked him up and down again, on edge for the secret loophole she knew was lurking just around the corner.

"Just a kiss? Why?" she asked, suspiciously offensive.

"Because. Do you want me to ask for something more?" he retorted. Sarah pursed her lips at him. Something wasn't right. There had to be a catch.

"No...you say you'll send the guards away and leave me alone as long as I want? What's the catch?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No catch." She narrowed her eyes on his smile.

"You've kissed me before, what makes this one worth bargaining over?" he rose an eyebrow at how thorough she was being. Hm, maybe she was learning.

"I have kissed you. But that's not what I'm asking for. I want _you_ to kiss _me_."

Sarah narrowed her eyes again, finally understanding why this decision would be difficult. He was right. He'd mouth raped her plenty of times. But she'd never been the one to kiss _him_. Could she do it? Did she even want to? Hell no. Not really. Maybe. Oh, shhhh. Damn it.

She fisted her hands at her sides, suffering a huge affliction from such a simple request. And Jareth knew it. That's why he was smiling at her. Arrogant bastard. She glared up to him.

"You want me to kiss you? That's it? Fine," she snapped, and moved as if to give him a peck on the cheek. He halted her mid-step.

"Ah-ah-ah, no, Sarah. That's _not_ it. You have to give me a real kiss, and you have to mean it," he clarified, putting her back on her feet.

Sarah glared again. Damn. What to do. What to do. She huffed through her nose with frustration. It was so simple, yet infinitely complicated. _ Just one kiss. You can do it. Suck it up._ She puffed up her chest, then exhaled slowly, knowing her decision was inevitably already made. She rose her eyes up to his again.

"I won't mean it," she stated. Jareth rose an eyebrow.

"Well then, I suggest you call upon some of those acting skills of yours and _make_ me believe it."

Sarah's hands were fisted so hard her knuckles were turning white, and she bit her lip as she held her stand off against Jareth's smug grin. She flickered her eyes down the front of him, the open V of his chest at eye level, and gulped.

She looked over, her mannerism nervous and antsy, and saw that the battalion of Goblins were still just standing there, waiting. She looked back to Jareth, who was still patiently waiting for her to make a move. She took half a step forward, but caught herself. He was standing so tall and rigid, his hands firmly placed on his hips and his nose angled down at her. It was obvious he wasn't going to make this easy for her. His grin let her know he intended to let her do all the work and wasn't about to help her in the slightest. She could feel the Goblins eyes on her, their humble expectance. Could this be any more awkward? Ugh, he was doing it on purpose. She wanted to growl.

She lowered her eyes to the ground, contemplating how best to go about this. She exhaled, and tried to clear her mind. He knew that she wouldn't mean it. She knew that he knew. Which meant she really did need to call upon her acting skills if she wanted to get it right the first time, knowing that if she didn't give it her all, he would laugh and, in some snide manner, tell her it wasn't good enough and had to try again. She tried to think of all her kissing scenes from drama club, as well as any other behavioral cues she knew would help. She needed this to be good.

She started by running her tongue over her lower lip, with both anxiety and -enticement. _All he wants is a kiss. You can do this Sarah. Stop being nervous, he could have asked for something far worse. Nervous? Ha! I'm not nervous! Why would I be nervous about kissing Jareth? After the things he's done to me? Psh, please. This is the one thing I actually do have experience in..._

Her thoughts tried their best to reassure her, but she could feel her spine turning to jell-o as she tried to think of how exactly she was going to convince him that she wasn't completely repulsed by the situation. That was when a voice began resonating from the darkest shadows of her mind, whispering that the answer which would quell all her turmoil resided in the fact that she was not nearly half as repulsed by the situation as she wanted to be.

She let out another breath, and cleared her mind of thought. It was all or nothing, now or never.

She rose her hands to rest on the collar of his shirt, precariously exploring and testing the contours of his clavicles beneath the thin material. Her touch was light and tentative, but full of some eager sense of promise. She kept her head lowered, locked onto his sternum, but she could feel his gaze on her, taunting her with his patience. She gripped the frill of his neckline, and ran one of her thumbs along the bare skin of his chest. She'd never touched him there before. She could feel the shallow beat of his heart, marking on the slow and neutral pulse it set. She swallowed the rock in her throat when she looked up to him, ignoring the warm priggishness of his stare on her by closing her eyes and standing up on her tip toes, as she pressed her lips to his.

At first, she felt nothing. She thought she would be wincing, or find her body stiff and unresponsive, but found nothing of the sort. She felt her lips press against his, felt the softness of his skin -and thought nothing of it. She stood there, unconscious to time or space, and used it as an opportunity to think ahead. She pressed some of her weight into her hands splayed flat against his chest, pushing herself up a little taller.

They stood as still as a photograph, with nothing but the wind telling otherwise. It seemed as if seconds slowed, but she knew it was just in her head. She waited for something, any kind of reaction or signal from him, but was granted nothing. He just stood there, like a statue, full of challenge and domineering pomposity -his body language alone letting her know she wasn't fooling him in the slightest.

After a moment, she began to lower off her toes, defeated, but paused once their lips parted. Her heart seemed to quicken then, as if suffering the loss of its lifeline. She fluttered her eyes a bit, as if caught in a struggle. She didn't know why, didn't have the chance to think about it, but for some reason, she closed her eyes again, furrowing her brow as she pressed her lips up to his once more.

There was more of a force to her touch this time, more confident and demanding -something less chaste. She inhaled through her nose and maneuvered her lips against his. They parted somewhat, and she could taste him on her tongue. And for as many other times as he'd kissed her, as many other times that she'd tasted his lips, there was something different about this moment, something inaugural that poised its curious head within her psyche. But she didn't think of it then. She simply couldn't.

She tightened her grip on his shirt just a little more, helping to ensure her balance. She held that pose, waiting, or simply enduring. As the awkward seconds began to stretch, she wondered what his expression was like, wondered what the Goblins were thinking, wondered if her efforts were in vain. But then something -unexpected- happened.

Something about Jareth's posture shifted just then, a small blip within his spectrum of tension. He seemed to relax and tense further at the same time. He lowered his head a little, alleviating some of the stress on her toes, and though she couldn't see, his eyes slowly began to close. The tension in his body began to waver, hesitant, as if conflicted. It was a subtle change, so subtle it almost went unnoticed; but as Sarah lowered from her tip-toes, she couldn't help but be aware of the fact that her lips were in fact pulling Jareth down with her.

His lips gained a small flare of life and pressed against hers. She inhaled sharply through her nose and deepened her kiss, feeling suddenly victorious when their tongues met and curled around one another. They moved slowly, Sarah's movements dominantly coaxing Jareth's. It was a strange power play, but one that felt surprisingly liberating to her. He wasn't overtaking her, wasn't being vicious or controlling. She had the power to pull away, to end it all at her whim. His lips were soft and his tongue was flippant in its response, holding no trace of scheme or even thought for that matter.

He shifted again, and in an averse contention of wills, slowly rose his hand to lightly grasp the side of her face. She felt the tips of his fingers against her skin, and brought a hand from his chest to lightly encircle his wrist. His efforts became marginally more forceful then, kissing her more deeply with slow, sensual licks. She gave a surprise murmur when he took a small step forward, causing her to retreat, but effectively pushed their faces even closer. The Goblins started fidgeting, glancing away awkwardly from the scene before them. They'd never seen the King so openly affectionate with another. Their fists gripped their spears and shields as they teetered from foot to foot. And although they were each wearing helmets, you didn't need to see their faces to know each and every one of them were blushing feverishly.

Jareth...wasn't sure what had happened, wasn't sure when or how the change had occurred, but in that moment he couldn't have cared less. He thought putting her in such a position would be amusing, and indeed it was. But there was just something about her trepidation, something about the way her lips twitched against his, about the feel of her breath so close to him. He knew she was playing a role, but a part of him wanted this moment. He wanted to know what it felt like, and even as a weak facade it was not disappointing. He could feel his thoughts casting themselves out to sea, leaving his mind hollow. It was this hollowness that consumed him, that drew him towards her. He relished in the feel, in the taste of her. This was all he wanted. All he wanted was _this _moment -for her to come to him, for her to yield to him. He was about to lose himself completely when he felt Sarah begin to shift.

She lowered herself until she stood flat footed, and slowly brought both her hands back to her sides. She pulled away from him, moving so slowly and with such tenderness that he had to stop himself from pursuing those stray lips of hers and claiming them once again. He felt her breath against him, and his head had angled down in such a way that when he opened his eyes. He was met with the image of her parted lips. His vision was almost hazy, and his hand against her cheek nearly tingled with the bliss of his fancy. He rose his eyes to hers, and was struck so severely that he actually felt the wind being knocked out of him.

She was staring at him, wide-eyed and intent, already waiting for him to look up at her. Her lips were parted, her cheeks were flushed and her breathing was quick, but it was her eyes that gave it all away. There was such a strict ferocity in them, burning into him, shredding him as her gaze completely crushed any kind of phantasm he thought they may have been in. Her gaze was cold and calculated, holding no trace of the sublime reverence that had consumed him so. His brow drew tight and he blinked repeatedly, as if trying to shake himself of the mirage, but it was no use. His eyes continued to narrow, until they settled into a look of pained discomfort as he fully registered the disillusionment of the situation. She was making a point.

She pursed her lips and waited for his verdict.

Jareth opened his mouth slightly as if to speak, but only continued to blink in disconcertion. His hand flexed against her cheek, but her skin no longer felt as warm and welcoming as it had. He stared into her eyes, saw their conviction, and -strangely enough- couldn't help but smile. How foolish of him. How foolish that he should lose his head, if only for a moment. How asinine to have even entertained the idea of a consensual joy let alone to believe it may have actually happened. They were no where near such a moment. She'd accepted his challenge, and a challenge was all that it was. She knew that. She knew that the entire time. ...But, so did he. His smile curled on one side as he regarded her. She had played her part well. Once again, she had won a game he intended to lose. He lightly ran his fingers through her hair, and took some satisfaction in the flicker of reaction that she was unable to keep concealed behind her stone composure. His lips thinned to something humble, and his eyes softened into an expression that was as bitter as it was sweet. He ran his thumb down her jaw.

"Hm, well done," he said, and before Sarah could react to the wayward sense of both awe and desolation in his voice did he, and the rest of the Goblins, vanish.

* * *

Sarah wobbled back on her heel, her wide bemused eyes scanning the now vacant lot of her surroundings. _Well that was...unexpected. He left? Just like that? He actually kept his word? No tricks? _She lowered her eyes for a moment. Of course, Jareth had always kept his word in things like this... She looked up, feeling anxious and out of place. The Goblins were gone. There wasn't a trace of any living being as far as she could see. She was alone. She continued to blink absently at the scenery, focusing her gaze at the open air as if they were all still there but merely invisible. A breeze rustled her hair, bringing her back to the moment. She really won, didn't she? Finally! She fooled the Goblin King! Hurrah! Her conscience was jumping up and down in victory; yet, there was something unsettling about the situation that kept that reaction from surfacing. Instead, she found herself frowning and her thoughts distant. She subconsciously rose a hand to her cheek, marking on the way it still tingled from his touch.

She sighed and shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the image of Jareth's expression when he'd pulled away from her. For a moment...he looked so happy. And for some reason that disturbed her. She closed her eyes and scowled, pouting to herself as she forced the vision away, while simultaneously drawing her hair up into a pony tail. Too many things had been pressing on her mind these past few days, too many opposing things. She needed a run, a long hard run; something to clear her head. She looked to the sky when her hair was secure, tuning in to the sounds of the city just beyond the wall. Then she rose an arm and started to stretch.

* * *

Jareth stood facing the poorly lit corridor, caught mid-step by an ever present affliction. He closed his eyes and looked upward as he sighed, shutting it all out, before carrying on like the interruption had never happened. He sighed harder when his eyes opened, his expression rigid and fierce, his stride becoming more aggressive as he stalked down the hall. He rounded a corner, and met Roldan just as he was exiting a room.

"Oh, good. I was about to set out for you," Roldan said, taking care to shut the door behind him quietly as he approached the King. Jareth's stride refused to falter. This didn't seem to phase Roldan, who merely skipped forward to match the his pace. "I've been working with Jorunn on finalizing the renovations for the Sulu District. I believe they're at an adequate stage for you to look them over," he started in, ruffling through said documents as he spoke. He was walking beside Jareth, but hadn't looked up to notice the poignant disinterest plainly wrought across his face.

Jareth brought his hands to clasp behind his back.

"I trust you're handling the inconsistencies with this quarter's quota, as well?" Jareth interjected, the sharpness of his tongue well evident through his words. Roldan's brow shot up.

"Inconsistencies?" he repeated.

"Yes. Our timber exports are but a fraction of what they were last quarter, while our mineral excavations are nearly doubled," Jareth said. Roldan seemed to grow puzzled at this.

"I believe you'll recall the fire that plagued the western front earlier this spring? Davion had reassigned the lumbermen to the mining facilities to counteract the loss of profit while the forest re-grows. I included an entire sublet on it." There was a hint of concern in Roldan's voice. Surely, Jareth remembered all this... He began to focus his gaze on Jareth's posture then, and realized something had made him greatly agitated.

Jareth nodded, but hadn't actually listened to a single word he'd said. Saying his mind was elsewhere was a grave understatement, and the place it had been taken to was fuming with vexation. As he walked aimlessly down the hall, without a clue as to his destination, he realized he needed a distraction.

"Erastor wishes to up their trade regiment of iron ore. See to it that negotiations are made, fittingly," he informed. Roldan's eyes continued to narrow, the wayward tone of Jareth's voice more than apparent.

"Is something bothering you, Sire?" he asked, surprised and not surprised when Jareth's reaction was naught, though there was a lengthy pause before he responded,

"No, actually," he answered, as if making some kind of angry realization. Roldan pondered the cause for such a reaction, but realized it could only be one thing. He then began to scowl. Was there not a single moment when that woman wasn't wreaking some kind of havoc? Two days he'd been back, and during both he'd seen Jareth riled and out of sorts. This kind of behavior wasn't becoming, or beneficial to a King. "So, how goes schooling that darling little bride of mine?" Roldan rose a tired brow -speak of the devil.

"Well...smoother than expected," he admitted, pleasantly so. He hadn't expected the girl to have actually done the work he'd assigned, and was surprised at the genuine interest she actually took in learning. "Aside from a few grumbles here and there, she seems to have a sincere interest in garnering an education. Which, hopefully, will make the next few weeks go by a little quicker." He watched Jareth intently as he spoke, but was only rewarded with the quick flicker of a smirk that was gone before it even appeared. Roldan wondered what she could have done, this time, that had set him off so. If he didn't know any better, he would have said his words only made Jareth more irritated. He watched as the King's eyes darkened.

"Very good."

They stopped in front of a door. Jareth turned and gazed down at Roldan, expectantly.

"I'll take those documents now," he said, signaling Roldan to cough up the folder he was carrying, and candidly flipped through its contents once it was in his hands. Roldan waited for his next order. "I'll have this back to you by tomorrow," he said and turned to enter the room and, without pause, continued to close the door in Roldan's face.

Jareth strolled through the library, leisurely b-lining it to his desk. He set the folder down and rolled his sleeves up a little further. It was a little past six, and the sun was at the perfect level to beam straight in through the ceiling high windows. Its rays were torrid.

He kicked back in his chair, letting out a long exhale as he mentally prepared for the long and tedious task of combing through the mound of drab gawking at him from across the desk. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He would deal with Sarah later. He looked down and pulled back the first page -though he hadn't finished reading the first sentence when the abrupt sound of a book slamming shut pulled his attention. He looked up and almost groaned.

"Liana...It's been a few days. Were you missing me?" he asked, blatantly tired, sarcastic, and poignantly uninterested.

Liana stood, angled away from him as she skimmed through a page of whatever book she was holding. She ignored his snide comment, and moved to slide the book back in its slot.

"No," she murmured, as if distracted, and proceeded to search for a new book. Jareth rolled his eyes and closed the folder.

"What are you doing here," he commanded, irritably. Liana began to pace, but still refused to give him her attention.

"I'm reading. This is a library, is it not?" she retorted, cattily flipping to the next page in an exaggerated manner. Jareth slouched back in his chair.

"Boning up on your history, then?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly at the title of her book. She stopped pacing then, and turned to look up at him.

"On the contrary, I already know the exact content of every single one of these books." Jareth straightened up a little.

"What do you want."

"I came to congratulate you. It's been over twenty-four hours and you haven't made Sarah cry," she said, somewhat cattily. Jareth huffed and looked away. He didn't have the time nor energy to deal with this. She narrowed her eyes on his dismissal and took a few steps towards him. "You let her outside again."

"Is that a question?" he asked, not bothering to look up from his papers, though he wasn't reading a single word. Liana began to tap her fingers along the edge of the desk as she paced.

"No. It's just surprising."

"Surprising that the Queen is not confined to her dungeon?" Jareth snarled. Liana rose a brow on him.

"No. That you aren't as paranoid over her safety as I thought you would be." Jareth's posture paused briefly, but soon regained its rhythm of flipping through pages.

"Who says I'm not? I don't need to be with her every waking moment to protect her. There are plenty of guards keeping an eye on things."

"And it doesn't bother you that _her_ Labyrinth is only a short skip away?" Liana paused, curling a smirk at the flicker of a cringe that shot across Jareth's face just then, and took satisfaction in the confirmation that her goading was having an effect.

Jareth's hand tightened and crinkled the edge of his paper, conscious to the success of Liana's spiteful stimulation. As if he wasn't irritated enough already. Her Labyrinth? _Please_.

"She won't go anywhere near it," he stated.

"Hm," Liana hummed, and continued to walk by. Jareth caught sight of her fingers grazing along the desk out of the corner of his eye, and glared up at her, viciously.

"What are you doing here. Like you said, Sarah hasn't been distraught, and I haven't summoned you."

"Yes, like I said, I came to congratulate you, on your ability to somewhat handle a situation," she said. Jareth pushed his papers away.

"What, would you like me to thank you for the opportunity?" he snapped, with venom in his words, instantly aggravated to be reminded of Sarah's breakdown the other night. As far as he was concerned, nothing about it had been resolved. He still didn't even know what her problem was. He wasn't sure what had gone wrong or how to fix it, which made it a very tender subject.

"Some gratitude would be nice, seeing how I could have simply used my influence to sate her."

"Is that a threat?"

"A threat?"

"Yes, as I duly recall every other instance in which you have used you influence on her."

"Settle down, My Liege. I'm not here to stir up sparks." Jareth glared harder.

"And yet you stand here fanning the fire."

Liana held his stare for a moment, before snapping whatever tension that had been poisoning the air. She blinked at him, and then relaxed her posture.

"My apologies. I am out of line. I'm trying to get used to Sarah's various emotions," she said, quickly, and then glanced away. Jareth rose his brow at her behavior.

"Really, now?" he asked, incredulous and exasperated. Great. Now, on top of Sarah, he had to deal with an emotionally radical celestial being. Ugh, women.

"Yes. And she certainly has a lot of them. That is actually the reason I've come to see you." She'd held her head low as she spoke, and crossed her arms before looking back up to him, with an uncertain and possibly even worried expression on her face. Jareth began to grow more attentive, and signaled for her to continue. "The amount of emotion...the amount of _unstable_ emotion I've been receiving from Sarah is causing fluxes within the Labyrinth -as we saw the other day. Now that she has returned to the Underground, her connection to me is much more tangible, and I am worried that these -disturbances may happen more and more often. And there is nothing I can do to stop them," she explained. Jareth had leaned forward, and his eyes narrowed to a suspicious scowl.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, warily. His gaze held hers, as if testing it for deceit. Liana stood a little taller, and any facade she may have had went undetected.

"Because we have an arrangement. And as long as you are King I am duty bound to uphold it. It is my job to help you maintain the balance. And I am telling you that balance is at risk," she stated, as crystal and stoic as ever. Jareth tilted his head slightly, unwilling to believe Liana would have given him this information so freely.

"And what would you recommend, exactly?" he asked. Liana's features hardened.

"Tell Sarah of her nature."

Jareth's brow actually shot up and he couldn't stop the incredulous grin that spread across his face.

"Excuse me?" he asked, trying his best to hold back a laugh. Liana however, didn't seem to find anything amusing about it.

"She is my master. You have brought her back to me. It is time she took her place. The longer she remains ignorant, the more unstable our energy will be."

Jareth's grin stretched and curled until it became something dastardly.

"I think you're exaggerating," he said, successfully bringing a look of surprise to Liana's face. "Your magic is fine." Liana's eyes slowly narrowed, but she said nothing. "You're up to something. What are you after?" he asked. Liana rolled her head away from him.

"What could I possibly be scheming for by telling you this?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. But I know you wouldn't come to me of this so freely. Did you really think I would awaken Sarah's power merely because you asked me to?" His tone took on something haughty, but wasn't prepared for one end of Liana's sternly pursed lips began to curl. She unfolded her arms, and stepped towards him once more.

"No," she said, oh-so-smugly. Jareth watched her warily as she rounded the desk.

"Then what are you after?" he asked, his eyes glued to her face, but hers were cast off at the floor. There was something dangerous about her grin.

"Now, why would I tell you that? Especially when you've already given it to me." Jareth furrowed his brow at that. What? He was about to be confused, but the look on her face told him to remain on guard and worry about it later.

"Speaking of emotions and scheming, you wouldn't happen to have had something to do with Sarah's new demeanor, would you?" he asked, _almost_ rhetorically.

"And what if I did?"

"Then I would ask why it is you are helping me."

Liana leaned against the desk and looked down at him.

"Why would I not assist in bringing happiness to my master? This is her home, she should love and embrace it. Any benefits you may find are merely consequence..." Jareth had decided to look away from her as she spoke, showing her his disinterest as well as trying to bring his attention back to his paperwork. "But the question does beg itself-" She piped up. He peered out, out of the corner of his eye. "If you are no more than her future husband, her protector and teacher, why should I not be helping you?"

Jareth had stilled until the stiffness of his aura had become tangible. There was something about Liana's tone. He couldn't put a finger on it. Why was she here? What did she want? Deep down, he had a feeling she already knew of his intentions, but grew all the more confused as to why she was helping him in his efforts rather than warding him off... And she _was_ helping him. There were no such thing as unintended consequence. She was making her moves, slowly and deliberately. His moves were simple, admittedly predictable. And that was the reason that Liana's position was so dangerous. What in the Hell was she after? She was goading him for something, but he had no idea what for or why.

"I told you, she is strong, intelligent, resourceful, and holds over you. She is the perfect match. There is no one more worthy of becoming my wife," he said, in a slow and precise recitation. Something about this whole situation was off. If Liana knew of Jareth's intention to reclaim Sarah's power, why wasn't she trying to stop him? It was her duty to protect her master. But if she didn't know, why was she being so ominous and troublesome over the matter?

"And yet, you hesitate."

"All things in their due time." He'd turned his attention back to his folder, trying to bring some of the casual atmosphere back to the room. He wasn't ready when he felt her hand clasp his shoulder, or when she then bent down as if to whisper in his ear. He became instantly on guard then. Never, in all their centuries, had she ever even come close to touching him.

"You may be clever and cunning and wicked, as you plot from the shadows, My King. But I am the walls on which your shadows cast. My ear is the breeze that blows through these halls. My gaze is cast by the sun and the moon and although you have many prying eyes it is I who sees all." Her fingers tightened on his shoulder. "Be wary, My King, for no matter how well you play your hand, you can never trump the dealer."

Something dark and malevolent began to pour from Jareth's very soul the longer she spoke. He felt her hand over his shoulder, and the mere pressure of her fingers was enough to send him into a near-blind rage. His hands slowly fisted as she spoke, but just as he whipped his head up, just as his teeth snarled and black flames began to shout from his eyes, did the sound of the door creaking open shatter through the moment, and not one second later, she was gone.

Roldan strolled into the room, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Jareth fuming and about to tear, what appeared to be, thin air to shreds. He worried his brow, and for a moment, thought he should just turn around and go back the way he came. He waited a beat however, too concerned to risk moving.

Jareth actually bore fang as he glared at the open space where Liana once stood, and his chest heaved with a rush of adrenaline and absurdity. He was so angry. So unbelievably angry. Never had he received such a blatant threat and debasement of position from her. And it wasn't so much her words that bothered him, but the fact that she had, once again, asserted her dominance over him in a manner that tore away any amount of pride and respect he'd amassed over the centuries of his reign.

His pride was screaming for blood. Never had she acted like this. She was truly conspiring to something, and what enraged him more than anything else, was the fact that they both knew that, whatever it was, he couldn't do anything about it. She'd reduced him to nothing with only a short whisper. It seemed there was a system of very pertinent checks and balances in this game of theirs. It was like they'd gone from the strategy of chess, to simple rock paper scissors. Jareth was the scissors, Sarah the paper, and Liana the rock. And if Jareth despised one thing more than anything else it was being openly untenable to another. While the surface impact of her words may have seemed minuscule, they had completely undermined everything Jareth held dear. There was nothing worse than being emasculated by a butterfly. This, all these reasons, on top of his previous aggravation regarding Sarah, had combined in that split second. And what made it truly brutal was that it had been cut off before its climax. He turned, his gaze bright with ferocity, and glared at Roldan, debating whether or not he should thank him, or make him an unfortunate casualty. Roldan took a step forward, and lowered his head submissively.

"Um, Majesty? I thought I might get your signature on a trade order. But...if you would like to be left alone, I can come back later," he said, as if trying to bait a wild animal. Jareth turned, and locked his jaw, viciously grinding his teeth and he forced his anger to dissipate. After a moment, he let out a hard exhale, but that was the only amount of tension that left him.

"Bring it here," he bit out. Roldan hesitated, but gave in to approach him at the desk. He wondered, gravely, what had upset him so direly within the last twenty minutes. He watched as Jareth's penmanship nearly tore through the paper. He then slammed the pen down and stood from the desk, not bothering to hand the paper back to Roldan.

"Sire?" Roldan asked, concerned. It was very rare that he saw Jareth this angry. So angry in fact, that something told him it may have nothing to do with Sarah.

Jareth stalked passed, practically stomping towards the door.

"Tell Gorumn to prepare something for me in the dungeon. And send word that I am not to be bothered for the rest of the night," he growled, and stormed out into the hall.

* * *

Sarah ran with the fervor of a thousand energizer bunnies. She didn't stop, didn't think, just ran. Her eyes were focused and intent on the image before her, but she barely registered any of it. She had no idea of the time, but hadn't slowed down even a step. In fact, she may have started running faster. Her breathing was heavy, but set a neutral pace. She pumped her arms and kept her shoulders relaxed, and it didn't even occur to her to wonder why she wasn't the least bit tired. She was so intent on clearing her mind, yet her intense focus only seemed to be counteracting that. Instead of her thoughts, she focused on her movements, on the mechanical mindless repetition. This was simple. This was easy. After a while, a tension that she hadn't even been aware of began to lift from her shoulders, releasing her rancorous thoughts from their cage to drift off in the breeze.

Slowly, the sound of her breathing became more prevalent in her ears, a sure sign that her daze of determination and frustration was finally at its end. Now freed from her own will, she glanced over at the looming silhouette of the castle and was almost baffled that, in all the time she'd been running, she had just barely started to round its circumference. She glanced up next, and saw that the sun had moved a great deal to the west. The path around her was starting to vibrate with the low golden hue of evening. This new awareness of reality reminded her body that she'd been running nonstop for what appeared to be hours now and, in a desperate plea, told her that the fumes she'd been literally running on were nearly depleted. She took in a sharp breath and began to slow down, brining a hand to her side. She had a cramp.

She jogged to a halt and brought her arms over her head and began to take in slow, deep breaths. She walked in circles, using her time to survey the area.

There was nothing special about this stretch of path compared to any other. The walls were the same, the gravel was the same. Aside from a few weeds springing up here and there, it was all the same. She put an ear out and listened for signs of the town. It was more of the same, only it was starting to wind down along with the passing time. She wondered where she was in relevance to the city as well as the castle. With that thought she looked up at the castle once more, her stance that of awe as she gazed upwards towards the heavens. It was so big. It was hard to imagine that she and Jareth had scaled every room in just two days. She wondered where her room was, where the pool room was; but more than that, she wondered where Jareth's room was. Well, not really _Jareth's_ room, per say, but the window in Jareth's room. She squinted her eyes, and used a hand to shield her gaze from the setting sun, but couldn't make out any form towards the top of the tower -which was where she only assumed his room would be, given it's vantage point.

She rolled back on her heel and leaned against a wall. Her cramp wasn't going away as expected. That's when she realized she hadn't drank anything all day. How stupid! Why would she go running without any water? _Maybe because I was too distracted to think of it..._ her thoughts grumbled. She leaned forward and put her hands on her knees; the more she thought about it, the more exhausted she became. She started looking around, as if she might catch someone as they walked by, but there was no one there. But then she thought of something. She straightened up a bit, and looked around as if speaking to the wind.

"Hey ...uhh... I know you're there. Um, if it isn't too much trouble, could one of you bring me some water?" she asked the air.

While she was alone, she knew she wasn't. Jareth's deal wasn't to make the Goblins go away completely, only to hide them so she wouldn't be bothered. She knew they were there, watching her, somewhere... After a moment, she glanced to the side, catching movement out of the corner of her eye. At first, she was confused, having sworn she just watched a Goblin come marching straight out of the wall; but then she remembered the hidden turns within the Labyrinth. Was this path the same? Had she been breezing by dozens of turns this entire time? She put that thought on pause however, and took a minute to look the creature over.

Surprisingly, this Goblin was almost shoulder height, and was covered in head-to-toe armor. It was red, with a messy number 5 painted across the breast plate. He carried a halberd in one hand, and used it as a balancing agent as he bowed low and gave her a wide sweep of his arm.

"Your Majesty," It said, it's voice muffled behind the visor of its helmet. Sarah waited a beat until it stood, and promptly produced for her a leather canteen. For a split second, she was hesitant to take it.

"Um, thank you," she said, distractedly fiddling with however the hell she was supposed to open it, and then took a small swig. "Here, if this is yours I don't want to drink all of it," she added, and quickly handed it back to the guard.

"Nonsense, my Queen shall take whatever she needs or wants. Please," he said, and made a gesture for her to keep it. Sarah's eyes flickered down, before shrugging and downing the rest in a few large gulps. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand when she was done. "Would thy lady like some more?"

"Um, yes actually, only if it isn't too much trouble," she said. She didn't really know what to expect, but looked up at the wall when another Goblin suddenly hustled in, handed the red guard another canteen, and quickly dashed off again. She flickered her eyes back down and impulsively swapped out her empty container for a fresh one. "Thank you."

"Thy lady is most welcome. Is there anything else you require?" It asked. Sarah leaned back against the wall, and rose an arm to shield her face from the sun.

"No, I think I'm good," she said and proceeded to continue catching her breath. She began to lower her gaze to the ground, but brought it back up when she saw the guard bow to her as if to exit. She caught him just before he turned around. "Wait-" she called out. The guard came to an immediate halt, and stomped on a foot before turning on a dime back to face her.

"Yes, my Queen?"

"What's your name?" she asked. The guard seemed to flinch just then, surprised.

"Uhhm, Baldur, Majesty," he answered.

"Could you please raise your visor, Baldur?" she asked. Again, he flinched, but did as she asked. She cracked a grin when she saw how long and pointy his nose was. "Thank you. Now, my name is Sarah. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Baldur twitched again, but this time it was more in his eyes. They widened, forming deep crinkles in his face. Sarah grinned again, amused that he was so caught off guard.

"And I you, my lady," he answered, darting his eyes every which way as if greatly anxious. Sarah lowered her arm, feeling her cramp sooth itself away.

"Please, I want you to call me Sarah. No titles, ok? And you can tell that to the rest of your squad." Baldur's brow drew, but he nodded, quickly.

"As you wish, Majes-UhhImean Sarah," he stammered. Sarah curled her lips at him, and decided to scan over the scenery again, in an effort to alleviate some of his anxiety.

"So, you've been watching me pretty close then, eh?" she spoke, breaking some ice along with it.

"Yes."

"How exactly do you do that? I mean...there aren't any hiding places, and I haven't seen a single soul out here all day."

"We have our ways, my lady -er Sarah." She shot him a smirk then.

"Well, you're very good at your jobs then," she said, and paused to look up all around. "And the rest of you, where ever you are, I compliment your skill!" she proclaimed, pretty sure they would be able to hear her. She looked back to Baldur, who was still standing stiff and anxious. Apparently, her behavior was strange.

"Thank you, ...Sarah," Baldur said. Sarah giggled to herself and took another drink.

"How do you keep up with me? I've been running pretty fast. Do you run alongside me, or something?" she inquired.

"Um, no. We have...other ways." She could tell by his mannerism that it would be difficult for him to explain how they did it, so she took pity by simply moving on from it.

"I see..." she murmured, and slowly roamed her gaze down the path ahead. She narrowed her eyes, and saw there were a number of fallen tree branches blocking the way. "Thanks for the water Baldur, you're a life saver. I'll let you get back to your post now," she said, and began walking towards the branches she was eyeing so intently. Baldur chose to watch her before moving from his spot.

Sarah put her hands on her hips as she stood before the mound of branches, wondering just how in the world they ended up here. The entire area around them was completely clear, devoid of anything let alone a tree. Hmm... She pursed her lips as she thought, running her eyes along the thick limbs from one end to the other. A light bulb flicked on just then, and without a word of explanation, she began pulling apart and arranging various branches. Baldur looked on, concerned.

"Um, would thy lady like some assistance?" he asked. Sarah let out a deep breath as she heaved one of the heavier branches, and shot him a smile from over her shoulder.

"No thanks, I got this," she said, and continued whatever it was she was doing. Baldur took a few steps to join her, his aura timid and anxious.

"Please, manual labor is no action for a Queen. Whatever you wish, I shall do it," he said. Sarah paused, and looked back to him.

"Really, I'm fine. I'm a big girl, I can handle a couple branches," she said, and turned back around. Baldur started shifting around uncomfortably.

"May I ask what it is you are trying to do?" he inquired, very much uncomfortable and borderline fearful that he was standing idly by while his Queen persisted. She waited until securing the last branch in place before responding.

"I'm making a hurdle," she said, and smacked the dirt from her hands. Baldur's brow drew.

"A what?" he asked. She turned and smiled, counting in her head as she began to step backwards. Baldur followed.

"A hurdle. Something for me to jump over," he explained. Baldur nearly shook.

"That doesn't sound very safe, my lady," he said, wanting to urge her desist, yet knowing he had no place to. Sarah rolled her eyes and waved a hand through the air.

"Oh, pshaw, It'll be fine. I do this all the time."

"Why would you do that?" he asked, sounding mildly horrified. Sarah stopped after retreating the proper distance, and turned on her heel.

"Because it's fun. And it's a good work out. And -it's something I'm good at," she said, and looked down the path to make sure everything was in order. Then she leaned down for her canteen, taking one last swig.

"My lady-"

"Sarah."

"Sarah, please forgive me, but I must insist against this. If something happened to you, His Majesty would-"

"Jareth can get over it," she bit out, then immediately felt bad for being rude to her guard. He was just doing his job after all. She looked down to him, and gave him a sympathetic grin. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. But really, I'll be fine. I got this. Besides, I've got all you guys looking out for me right?"

"...of course."

"Well then? I'd say I'm in safe hands then. Go on now, it'll be fine," she gently urged. Baldur continued to fret, looking down and all around as if some grand war of wills was wracking his brain. But, after a moment or two, he eased up and nodded in acceptance.

"Should you need us-"

"I'll call," she said, with a smile, and watched as he then bowed and turned back down the secret corner from which he came.

Once he was gone, it didn't take more than a second for Sarah's curiosity to take over. As soon as the flag on his halberd disappeared, she darted towards the wall, in hopes of finding this hidden corner. Only, when she reached it, all she found was a brick wall to the face. She gasped and stumbled, trying to break her fall from the surprise. _What? I thought this was a turn? Didn't he just go through here? What the Hell? _ she wondered, and the proceeded to wonder if Jareth had something to do with it. She groaned and scowled at the wall, hands on hips n' all. Well, with there being nothing she could really do about it, she chose to move on and turned her attention back to the task at hand.

She moved back to the center of the path, and eyed her sorry excuse for a hurdle one last time. She took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. God, it had to be getting close to late evening and it was still so freaking hot out. The more she thought about the heat, the more suffocating it became. She tried to fan herself off with her hands, but it was no use. She placed her hands on her hips, gripping the fabric of her tank top, and looked around again, pondering the possible pros and cons of what she was about to do.

"Fuck it," she muttered to herself, and yanked her tank top up and over her head, casting it off to the side next to her water. She wasn't sure she liked the parallels this drew to the night Jareth took her, but it was just too damn hot out. And besides, he'd made a deal that he wouldn't bother her, so there was nothing to really worry about, right? She stretched a bit before taking stance at her imaginary start line, counting down in her head and schooling her breathing as if this actually mattered. _On your mark. Get set. Go!_

She made the first jump without fault, and bounded to an easy stop. Then, she turned around and did the same thing from the other direction. She went through this motion, over and over and over again, rejoicing in the victory that she still had it. A part of her wished there were more branches for her to make a second and maybe even third jump, but she knew that would be asking too much. So instead, she focused in, cleared her mind, and burnt out the remainder of her frustrations through the mindless repetition of jumping back and forth.

It wasn't too long before she began to tire herself out, her breathing becoming hoarse and her chest heavy. She put her hands on her hips and looked on, her water bottle being on other side of the hurdle. She took a deep breath. _Just one more jump. I got this,_ she told herself, and closed her eyes just before taking off.

She felt her knees wobble as she ran, but chose not to think of it. Yes, she had probably most definitely and unnecessarily over-worked herself today, something for which she was sure she was going to pay for in the days to come; but darn this was what she needed. She needed to be worn out, she needed a clean slate. She rose her leg as she made her jump, and seemed to glide over it effortlessly. She wasn't aware that, in her fatigue, her back foot had lowered, catching on a knot in the wood, and sending her toppling across the hard stone path.

She reacted within a nanosecond, trying her best to catch her balance and save herself. But her legs were just too weak, she felt her knees turn to jell-o and buckle, sending her skidding a good five feet down the path. She landed on her hands and knees, and immediately rolled back on her tailbone. She winced, and drew her knee up to her chest, examining the nasty scrape consuming most of her kneecap.

"Ah, bitch," she bit out, hissing in a breath as she dealt with the sting. She rolled back some more, looking over the rest of herself for any more injuries.

Ugh, she hated stupid scrapes like this. They were just like paper cuts. They were nothing, hardly an injury at all, but damn they just hurt like such a bitch. As she looked over her knee, she saw only a couple layers of skin had been taken, not quite enough to draw blood, but she could see it starting to pool at the surface. She looked up just then, and saw a butterfly fluttering about. It perched on her leg, but she was quick to shoo it away. Seriously, what the fuck was up with all the damn butterflies? She didn't have time to think of anything else, before an entire hoard of Goblins was suddenly upon her.

"The Queen is down! This Queen is down!"

"Quickly, quickly, the Queen is injured!"

"Summon the King!"

"Get information!"

She heard yelling and orders flying from every which way, and quickly stammered to her feet in a bleak attempt to control the situation.

"Whoa! Whoawhoawhoawhoa. Everybody just calm down!" she exclaimed, raising her hands out in front of her in a gesture that signified just that. The Goblins didn't seem to be listening to her, however, and were still pouting on about fetching the King. "Hey!" she screamed, though only drawing a the gazes of the Goblins closest by, one of which being Baldur. "Baldur! Tell them to stop and listen to me!" she commanded, hoping that he was the one in charge. Baldur turned, and rose his halberd in the air, and just like that the crowd silenced. Sarah lowered her hands. "Thank you...now everybody just calm down and listen to me. There is no need to get Jareth."

"But the Queen has been injured!" one voice proclaimed, and was quickly joined by many more. Sarah started shaking her head.

"No, I haven't. It's just a scrape. I'm fine."

"But, my lady, we can see the wound!"

"It's nothing. I'm fine. Please, you don't need to bring Jareth." Baldur stepped up then, assuming authority over the other Goblins.

"Sarah, we are under orders to protect you. You have been injured on our watch, it is our duty to report to the King. He will want to know," he explained. Sarah took a deep breath. There was no way they were bringing Jareth into this over a freaking scrape.

"Baldur. Look. I'm fine. I just had a slight tumble. It's not like I've broken my leg."

"And you were under my watch. I should have prevented you from engaging in such dangerous behavior. The King will-"

"The King will be fine," Sarah snapped, "Look, this wasn't your fault. I know you're all afraid of what Jareth will do to you, but I am the Queen right? Which means I have a say, too, and I say I am fine and none of you will be punished." Some of the Goblins seemed please at this, while others began looking more and more antsy.

"But-we have orders, my lady."

"You must be tended to."

"The Queen must never be harmed."

Soon, the crowd was riotous again, clamoring on, yet not actually doing anything. She started shaking her head, wondering how in the Hell Jareth put up with this. No wonder he was so hard on them. She looked down and Saw Baldur silently staring up at her.

"My lady Sarah, please. It is our duty. You must be seen to," he pleaded.

Sarah held his gaze for what she considered a long time, before giving in to her exasperation. She rolled her eyes up to the sky and huffed.

"Fine. Fine! How about this, I'll go back to the castle and get seen to there, ok? Just -just don't call Jareth down," she compromised. The Goblins started calming down then.

"But-but the King must be made aware!"

"I'll go see him myself then!" she called out, throwing her hands up in the air. It seemed, either way, her day out in the sun was over, but even if she agreed to go back in for aid, there was no way in hell she was going to Jareth. Maybe she'd head down to the newly installed pool room...

"Alright. If that is what thy lady wishes. Please, allow us to escort you back to the gates," Baldur said, and turned to eye down the rest of his squad, who in turn nodded in agreement. Sarah placed her hands on her hips and shrugged.

"Alrighty then. Lead on," she said, and gestured for them to proceed, before bending down and picking up her now very much dust and sweat covered shirt. The Goblins started to move around her, forming a perimeter before they marched. For a moment, Sarah wondered if they were going to march her all the way back down the path. They instead, however, started leading her through the hidden passage in the wall, and she was surprised when this time it actually worked. She looked on in intrigue, and saw that, with only a few minutes of walking, the path had led them straight to the castle gates. Hm, weird. She thought, but didn't question. She stopped at the top of the staircase, and turned back to them.

"Thank you, for looking out for me. You did your jobs well," she said, but it was more than apparent that none of the Goblins agreed with her. She started to frown, wondering if the reason they were so upset was because she had been hurt, or because they would have to deal with Jareth about it. Assuming the latter, she chose to speak up about it. "I promise, you don't have to worry about Jareth. You did nothing wrong." Some of them nodded, some of them shrugged, while most of them did nothing. She looked over to Baldur, and gave him a reassuring grin. "I'll see you around, ok? Thanks again for the water."

"My lady," he replied, with a bow, signaling Sarah it was ok for her to turn her back on them.

* * *

Sarah tried not to wince as she walked down the hall back to her room. There were pinpricks of blood starting to ooze from her knee, as well as a light ring of yellowing purple that would soon become a bruise, and god it stung like a bitch; but she sucked it up and tried to speed walk to her room as quickly and casually as possible.

It was much cooler in the castle now that the sun was starting to set, so the sheen of sweat glistening her body was starting to take effect. She gripped her shirt in her hand, debating whether or not she should put it back on, but thought she was close enough to her room to hold out. She was wrong.

She stopped dead in her tracks when Roldan rounded a corner just then. He was looking down, reading something in a folder in his hands, and stopped equally abruptly about five feet in front of her. Sarah blanched and froze, awkwardly. Roldan lowered his file, and slowly rose a brow at her, his eyes blatantly raking down her state of dress.

"Uh, hi," she said, not knowing what else to do, and wobbled back on her heel. Her eyes joined his at looking herself over. Yeah...she really should have put her shirt back on.

"Good evening," he answered, skeptically. Hm, good, she wasn't the only one weirded out by this encounter. Maybe they could both just turn around and walk away. "You were outside, I see," he added. Sarah's brow slowly rose.

"Uh...yea, I was. I went for a run."

"A what?"

"A run? I went jogging."

"Why would you do that?" he asked, sounding genuinely perplexed.

"Because it's healthy?" she countered, letting him know by her tone that she thought his question was nothing but absurd. His eyes lowered again.

"You went out dressed like...that?" he inquired, letting the last word role nastily off his tongue. Sarah tried not to glare.

"No...I had a shirt on."

"And what happened to that?" he asked. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"I took it off obviously," she said, sarcastically, and snarled when his look on her only worsened. "Oh, come on, it was like a hundred degrees out today! Don't worry, no one saw me," She continued on in exasperation.

"I surely hope not." Sarah glared harder at that, his goading having a very precise affect on her.

"And what do you mean by that exactly? Go on, tell me I look like a whore. I know you're dying for it," she snapped. Roldan's brow shot up at her comment, and his condescending glare faded away.

"I would not ever insult you in such a way," he said, cryptically almost. Sarah wanted to growl.

"Whatever. Well, I just got back, so if you could, or you really don't have to bother, I don't really care, but if you see him, tell Jareth I'm back. That way he won't have to come looking for me," she said, folding her arms over her chest, and pouting like a five-year-old.

"I don't think you have to worry about him seeking you out this night," he muttered. Sarah narrowed her eyes. She was about to ask if something had happened, but thought against it.

"Good," she said, and turned to stalk away.

"Sarah-" he called out, causing her to stop dead in her step. "What happened to your knee?" he asked. Sarah looked down, then back up to him, and shrugged.

"I tripped. It's no big deal. I'm fine."

"Has Jareth been informed?" he asked, gravely, but she had no idea why.

"Um...no? It's just a little scratch. I'm sure I'll find a bandaid in my room." There was a blip in Roldan's thoughts asking what in the world was a bandaid, but he had more pressing issues on his mind.

"He will want to know of it. Immediately," he said, again with some dark and ominous undertone.

"Fine, then you tell him," she said, pointedly. She saw Roldan tense just then, but wasn't sure why. Little did she know, Roldan's apprehension stemmed from the fact that Jareth had ordered not to be disturbed, and yet, he knew that if he wasn't informed of this incident, heads would be flying. Well, more than there already were. He wasn't sure what to do. He could send a Goblin in his stead, but felt pity at the fate that surely awaited it.

"Did something happen earlier?" he suddenly asked. Sarah scowled then, not knowing what he was referring to.

"Um, no? I've been outside all day. I wouldn't know about anything, as if I would even if I was in." Roldan shook his head subtly.

"No...I mean, did something happen between you and Jareth today?" he clarified. Sarah's back straightened, her thoughts immediately turning to their encounter outside, but shook it away. There was no way Roldan would have any idea about that, right?

"Um...no, not really," she answered, and only grew more curious as Roldan's furrowed brow continued to twist. Was there something she should know about? "Why? _Did_ something happen?" she asked. Roldan gripped his folder of papers and shook his head.

"I'm not sure," he said, and made move to storm away. Sarah's concern, however, stopped him before he could get away. He had to move closer to her to pass her, and so she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. He stopped and turned. His eyes were intense and his nostrils flared, but she took no note of it.

"Roldan, is something going on?" she asked, sincerely concerned. Roldan's eyes flicked down her again, but it took a minute for them to come back up. Something about him seemed different all of a sudden, but she wasn't sure what. He took a deep breath, and tried to look away from her. When he spoke, it was terse.

"No. Nothing for you to worry about. Though, I suggest you return to your chamber and see to yourself, now," he said, and quickly stormed away.

Sarah blinked at the empty hallway, before readily turning around and resuming the walk back to her room. _Well, that was strange..._ she thought, wondering what his deal was and whether or not something bad had happened. She bit her lip as she walked, her mind ranting the various possibilities that could make Roldan concerned for Jareth. Surely, there was nothing she did, right? Well, there was that kiss, but he shouldn't have become angry about it. She didn't understand, and so dismissed that train of thought completely. She reached her room within minutes and let out a sigh when met with the familiar and newly welcoming site of her bed and dressers. She stretched as she walked, rolling her tired ankles and twisting her neck from side to side. She sat down on the bed and tore off her shoes and socks, wiggling her toes with the comfort of their freedom. She sat for a minute, simply relaxing, but the feel of her fresh and clean linens against her reminded her that she was covered in sweat and filth. And so she stood, tossing her shirt into the corner, and making headway for her dressers to pick out something new to wear after her shower. She was just about to shimmy out of her shorts when she turned, and nearly jumped back in surprise.

"God! -Damn it! Why do you have to keep doing that?!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around to cover herself from Jareth's languid gaze as his eyes swept over her. Her eyes burned at him and she stumbled a step or two back. Jareth gave her a smirk, but otherwise remained motionless as he leaned, with arms crossed, against her armoire. It didn't take more than a second for her to become greatly aggravated with his presence. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you were going to leave me alone."

"While you were outside. Did I forget to specify that? Oh, sorry," he said, cheekily, and pushed himself up from the armoire to take a step towards her.

"Yes, you did. You said you were going to leave me alone as long as I want, location was not specified," she said, and wondered why the hell her voice was so shaky. She took a step back.

"Your point?" he asked, quirking her a dangerous eyebrow as he continued to encroach on her. She ran her eyes from head to toe on him, marking on his messy and ragged appearance. His shirt was pulled out in some spots, and all the ties were undone. His hair looked messier than usual; but she dismissed all that to the scorching humid weather. Her eyes grew more attentive when his hands went to his hips.

"My point is that you caused your own loophole. I would like you to leave," she said, as politely as possible, feeling like a poor little mouse left exposed against a hungry fat cat. Jareth stopped once he stood before her, letting his eyes drop and linger.

"That is all well and good, but you didn't think I wouldn't come to you knowing you had been injured, do you? No, I believe that is grounds enough to void that little contract of ours," he said, and the blatant drawl in his voice was enough to make her aware that there was something off about him. She flickered her eyes again and narrowed them on the speckles of red that dotted his front. She wondered what it was.

"Let me guess, Roldan tattled, didn't he?" she asked, snarkily, and matched his pose by placing her own hands on her hips. Jareth cracked a smirk at her.

"Tattled?"

"Yes. And as you can see, I'm fine. I tripped and scraped my knee. It's no big deal," she said, and rose her arms up in a grand gesture for him to take his fill -something she immediately regretted. He took another step, forcing her to angle herself away and back into one of her dressers. She dared to look up and caught the predatory look in his eye. She really, really should have put her shirt back on.

"No big deal? My Sarah, I don't think you understand," his voice rumbled, lowering and darkening with something that had no place being in the conversation. She darted her eyes around for a way out.

"Understand what?" she asked. He leaned over, just enough to rest his hands on the rim of the dresser, caging her in. She tried her best not to quake in her boots. After their moment outside, she wasn't sure how their next meeting would go. She hoped things hadn't gone to his head. He shifted his weight onto one leg, so he could lower himself to meet her at eye level.

"Your safety and well-being is the most important responsibility to befall any of my subjects. It is the most important thing to me. If anything ever happened to you..." He held her gaze as he spoke, his eyes burning her with their ferocity. Sarah tried not to keep hers so wide.

"Yeah, well. It was just a scrape. Seriously. It's not like I broke my leg or anything. There's no reason for everyone to be freaking out."

"No. But there could have been. I was careless to turn my gaze away. It was the guard's job to protect you." She interjected then, sensing where this was heading.

"They didn't do anything wrong. They advised me against what I was doing, and I ordered them to deal with it. They also took up arms when I fell, and again I ordered them to cease. They did everything you wanted them to do. In fact, they were so worried that they coerced me into coming back inside and tending to my knee. So you better not punish them," she said, jabbing him in the chest with her index finger. Jareth's grin broadened, gallantly. Every time she did that, something interesting usually followed. He rose a hand and pulled away her nasty little finger, lowering it back to the dresser and covering it with his own so she couldn't move it again. Sarah glared.

"Hm, so is that what you're doing then? Tending to your wounds?" he asked, sounding so amused and haughty that it made her brow twist. It seemed like he had some kind of scheme hiding under his tongue, but she had no idea what it could possibly be. She lowered her eyes for just a moment, feeling her curiosity drawn by the proximity of his bare chest. Again, her eyes caught on the speckles of red staining the white linen.

"I was about to, when you so rudely intruded," she said, tugging her hand out from under his. She looked back up to him to find his eyelids were lowered, and his gaze had acquired a strange glaze. She flinched back when he leaned in, his nose brushing against her ear. He smiled, and took a deep inhale, lowering to run his nose down her neck.

"Then I made it just in time," he murmured. His breath, along with the light wisps of his hair sent a shiver down her spine. She was about to interject when he continued, "I recon you gave Roldan a bit of a surprise when you ran into him." Sarah's brow drew.

"Um, I guess...why?" she asked, her skepticism helping to distract from his mannerisms as he continued to smell his way down her neck.

"Do you have any idea how intoxicating you smell?" he asked, gripping the rim of the dresser more tightly as he spoke. Sarah started to squirm.

"Um, no. I just got done working out. I'm all sweaty and dirty. I _recon_ I smell pretty awful," she said, only a twinge weirded out. She made a move to snake out from under him, but he only caged her in further.

"On the contrary, I find your musk quite invigorating," he said, and it didn't take Sarah long to figure out what was going on. That must have been it, that strange look in his eye, his predatory aura. He must be drugged out on more pheromones or something. He was smelling her after all. Damn it. She tried not to cringe with the thought of Jareth getting all primal and riled over her sweating, of all things.

"Ew. That's gross. Please let me go so I can take a shower. I feel disgusting," she said, grimacing at the floor and raising an arm to push against him as she made a run for it. Her success in this attempt was naught. Jareth leaned his pelvis forward, forcing her to straighten out against the dresser.

"I like you disgusting," he drawled. Sarah took a deep breath.

"Let me go so I can take care of my knee, then. Or do you like me wounded and bleeding too?" she tried again. She felt Jareth chuckle against her skin, but couldn't say anything more as he began to move, lowering himself until he was kneeling before her. Without a word, he took hold of her thigh, and pulled it out, setting her knee at a 90 degree angle. She leaned back at the sudden gesture, and used her rump against the dresser for balance.

She watched him as he examined her, watched as his bare hands roamed and caressed her skin, watched as he watched her with vigor. She could feel her skin tingling against him, but wrote it off as nerves. She knew Jareth could be quite temperamental, and possibly even dangerous when he got like this. She needed to be careful.

Jareth held her leg with one hand, examining her scratch as he ran the other up and down the inside of her thigh, raising it a little higher each time. He cocked his head to the side, and before Sarah could squeal, leaned in and ran his tongue from base to tip over the mark.

Sarah felt the sting of his saliva against her wounded flesh and quickly jumped in revulsion. Her eyes widened and she openly gucked at him.

"Ugh, what the hell? Did you really just do that?!" she shrieked, trying with all her might to jump over him and scurry off into the bathroom. He held her in place however, and started laughing at her struggle, before slowly rising to loom over her again. He still held her thigh with one hand, which caused her to have to hop up on her tip toe and lean further back against the dresser.

"You seem upset," he said, with a scandalous smile and a dark twinkle in his eye. Sarah meanwhile, only grew more mortified.

"Upset? You just licked my knee. That's disgusting," she snapped.

"I enjoy the taste of you," he said, only furthering her distress.

"Of my nasty, sticky, bloody knee? Why would you do that?" She really, really couldn't fathom what had possessed him to do that. And why - why was he laughing at her?! Ugh.

"Because I also enjoy making you squirm," he teased, then, after an agonizing moment on Sarah's part, took pity on her and took a step away. His eyes darted down, signaling she should do the same. She looked down, and saw her knee was no longer injured. She drew her brow on it, in a ghastly expression as if she were shocked in horror.

"You healed it?" she asked, rhetorically, and looked back up when he remained silent. "Th-thank you..." she muttered, unsure of herself, but then quickly found resolve. "But did you have to lick it to do that? That's gross Jareth," she lectured. Jareth merely raised a bored brow at her.

"Why?" he challenged. Sarah blinked at him, just blinked.

"Wha-what do you mean why?" she countered, horrified.

"Why do you find it foul that one should revel in every part of you?" he asked. Sarah started blinking again, more rapidly this time. She opened her mouth to speak, but hadn't decided on a proper comeback.

"Uhh...I find it unsanitary that someone wants to lick my wounds."

"Well, someone should," he said, and leaned back in to burry his nose in her hair. She cringed against him and wiggled away.

"Jareth-" she said, in an obvious plea, and rose her hands to lightly push against him. His arms caged her in again.

"I hadn't thought of the consequences of your day out in the sun," he murmured, slowly drawing her attention. "Physical labor...exertion...I can feel your heart pumping the blood through your veins. It feels so refreshing doesn't it?"

"No, it's grimy."

"Ah yes, all that dust and sweat, the glisten of moisture that covers your entire body...it's so strong. It's enough to make one a bit...ravenous." She could feel his lips nearing her neck.

"Ok, I get it. I smell. Can I please go take a shower now?" She was as close to begging as her pride would allow, and hopelessly gazed at anything that wasn't him. She could feel the thumb of the hand holding her thigh start to stroke.

"Not yet...I believe this moment presents us the opportunity to bring up something we desperately need to talk about," he said.

"What do you mean? We have to talk about the way I smell?" she asked, bemused, and tingled all over when she felt his lips brush against her skin as he said,

"Yes."

"I don't understand."

"Your pheromones, my dear, are running rampant again," he informed, though it seemed Sarah was unable to catch on.

"Um, ok."

"Do you remember our past discussion about the need to control these little, or not so little, outbursts?" he asked. Sarah gulped.

"You mean lessons," she said, gravely. Jareth nodded, but otherwise seemed to be becoming more and more distracted.

"Jareth, I-"

"Sarah. The most important part of court life is learning how to control they way you communicate. Aside from sexual arousal, it would seem you blossom from any means of stimulation. As wonderful as that is, this simply will not do, and something must be done about it." Sarah's body became as stiff as a plank.

"What do you intend to do?" she asked. Jareth stopped, and straightened himself before her.

"I'm going to teach you how to control yourself," he stated. Sarah glanced off to the side, growing extremely uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading. She remembered the last time he tried to help her wrangle in her hormones.

"...How, do you plan on doing that, exactly?" she asked, timidly.

"Let's play a game."


	14. Rhetoric, part 2

Chapter 11, Rhetoric (part 2)

* * *

Sarah's entire aura shifted so dramatically it was like there was a snap in the air. Her body grew tense and her eyes widened. She did not want to hear those words.

"What?" she asked, appalled. Jareth shifted.

"I already explained to you how to go about exerting your excess of pheromones. Once that happens, it will be easier for you to manage."

"I-I don't-"

"There isn't much room for option in this, Sarah. You must learn how to interact with others. Now, as Fae, we are born with the ability to control what and how much we output, but as a human, you must be taught. Contrary to what you might think, this isn't an excuse to take advantage of you. Because, if you haven't figured it out yet, I don't need an excuse to take advantage of you." He tried to be as rational as possible. Her understanding and possible acceptance of this would make everything go a whole lot smoother, though it was hard for him, in his hazy state, to omit some of the more -carnal- enticements that came along with it. "Though...I can assure you, there is room for much enjoyment, should you open up to it."

Sarah's gaze had lowered as he spoke, sinking further and further down into the black pit of her subconscious. It wasn't the idea of Jareth touching her again that made her so upset, but the horribleness of that night in general. She didn't know if she could handle another night like that.

"I...I don't want to play that game," she said, breathy and sounding oh so far away. Jareth leaned down then, cupping her face with his hands and pulling her back up to face him. When their eyes met, she was surprised to find his gaze fierce and focused, no longer languid and glazed.

"No. A different game," he said, making Sarah furrow her brow on him. Her silence urged him to continue. "I'd like to play a different game, one in which we both know _all_ of the rules," he said, and paused to make sure she was taking it all in. It was obvious the night in question still weighed heavy on both their minds. "How about this, I will tell you how to control your pheromone level, and then I will test you. If you can successfully hold back, I will not touch you for the remainder of the night." His eyes and voice were as clear as crystal. "But, if you cannot, if you slip up even once, you have to let me pleasure you up to five times." -Now that got a rise from Sarah's brow. "We'll do this every night, in hopes that you will catch on quickly and before long the game will turn in your favor."

Sarah watched him as he spoke, suspicious and yet hopeful. His terms seemed clear, and it didn't seem like he was trying to trick her. He wanted her to like this, which meant he _had_ to be sincere. Hm...he was just full of propositions today.

"I can't sense my own pheromones. How do I know you won't cheat and say I fail when I really didn't?" she asked.

"I suppose you don't. You'll just have to take my word for it." She huffed at him.

"That seems pretty sketchy to me." Jareth's gaze hardened just a tad.

"Sketchy or not, you'll have to make due with the promise that I will not lie. The point of this is to train you, it would be counterproductive to manipulate you otherwise. And besides, I may have my tricks, but I have never gone back on my word."

"And what if I say no?" she asked. Jareth took a deep breath.

"Let me put it this way. These lessons will happen, one way or another. I am merely trying to offer you a way in which you might enjoy it. Should you refuse, I will be forced to find another, less favorable, means of going about the issue," he said, with some warning. Sarah pursed her lips. There was really no getting out of this. She could say no. She could try to fight him off. But he was right...it would happen, one way or another. She glanced away and started to fidget. Why was everything so awkward today? At least the last time Jareth fondled her, it happened by surprise. But now, they were talking about it preemptively, premeditating the action. She wasn't comfortable with this. Not at all. She was being forced into giving Jareth permission to have his way with her -even if it was somewhat necessary...

"I'll even go easy on you, the first night. So, how about it? Do you accept?" he asked. Sarah thought another moment, plagued with the knowledge that she only really had one answer. But was that really so bad? He was trying accommodate her. This wasn't like last time, where he used it as a weapon out of anger and spite. And he did make her feel good...not that she would openly admit that. She peered her eyes up at him as she weighed his challenge. Challenge? No...this wasn't a challenge. It wasn't. He wasn't being domineering, he wasn't trying to win or prove a point. And that was all that had really upset her in the first place, wasn't it? She was upset that he had used her, upset at his lack of intimacy and -coldness. But...maybe it didn't have to be like that. Her eyes seemed to narrow as she regarded him, regarded the shrewdness she wanted to see, along with the expectant patience that actually met her. She tried, not as hard as she wanted to, to see him in a different light. He'd been very nice to her since that night. Maybe he actually was sorry? Her gaze lowered from his eyes down the rest of him and caught on the V of his shirt. This whole worn-out-bed-head look was good for him. Hmm.

"I can't really say no, and have it mean anything, now can I?" she said. Jareth cracked a smirk, but she continued on before he could say anything. "So fine, I accept," she added, with a with a shrug of forced indifference.

"Don't sound so eager," he replied, sarcastically, and took half a step back, raking his eyes down her before speaking. "Shall we start now?" he asked.

"Can I take a shower first?" He smiled then.

"No." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ok then. Have at it." His grin curled at her display of attitude, though he stopped himself from making any snide rebut and simply took a step towards her.

"Very well. Close your eyes," he commanded, softly. Sarah glared. "I said, _close your eyes_." He annunciated his words the second time around. She tried not to gruff and did as he said. "Good. Now, I want you to pay attention to everything I tell you, do you understand?"

"Yea, I get it," she snapped, impatiently. It was a good thing she had her eyes closed or he might have made some kind of reaction.

"Controlling your body is a purely mental process that is honed and developed through time and extensive practice. You must train your mind to be constantly aware and constantly on guard."

"And how do I do that, exactly?" she asked, raising an obnoxious eyebrow at him, though keeping her eyes screwed shut. Jareth tilted his head slightly as he watched her.

"I want you to clear your mind. Every thought, every distraction, push it out. When you are clear of thought, I want you to envision yourself standing in the middle of a room, a vast, white room, with no walls, no floor, and no ceiling." Sarah started to wriggle her brow.

"Wouldn't it stop being a room if there's no walls, floor or ceiling? I think what you're referring to is a void," she inferred.

"Is that a thought? I thought I told you to push those away," he teased. She huffed through her nose and drew up her shoulders a bit and pouted as she tried to do as she was told. How was she supposed to clear her mind? How was she supposed to push away everything that had been buzzing around in her head nonstop the past week? Let alone distraction?! -Jareth being the total epitome of the word distraction. And she had to focus on him, how could she push him out? She began to grow frustrated and instead tried to focus on this white room thing. Hm, maybe he meant something like a happy place? A white room was anything but her happy place. Ugh.

After another moment or two of grumbling, she finally settled in and, surprisingly, cleared her mind (as best she could) and saw herself standing alone in a white void. She let out a low exhale.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded. "Good. Now, I want you to envision your pheromones as tangible objects. Give them shape, color, movement. Make them real, and see them moving around you." Sarah scrunched her brow as he told her this, but tried to do as he said. "You and I both know that pheromones, smells, auras, are just chemicals and the signals are what our brains register them as. Turning them into physical objects will grant you the ability to manipulate them in a way that is more recognizable to you," he explained, and again she nodded. "Alright, now, I want you to envision a door standing in front of you. I want you to look at it, examine its every detail. Zoom in on it and memorize it. I want you to see and know every little detail, down to the pattern of wood grain and the tarnish on the handle. I want you to take a moment to do this, and let me know when you're ready." Sarah seemed to find herself immersing further and further into her void. She saw colors and tendrils and ribbons flowing around her. She saw a door; it as big and tall and made of a rich red wood. She saw its carvings and the metal detail and the glossy shine of the varnish. She focused so hard on it that it seemed to grow and loom over her. She let out another breath and nodded. "Now, I want you to envision everything around you, all the color and energy and anything you see, being shut behind that door." As soon as he spoke, it was like her mind had fallen to his whim. She exhaled deeply, feeling suddenly relaxed and relieved when all of the ribbons and tendrils suddenly vanished. She couldn't see, but she knew they were waiting just beyond the door.

"Sarah," Jareth said, tugging on her attention. The slight twitch of her eyebrows told him she was listening. "I want you to listen, because what I am about to tell you is very important," he said, slowly. "You must be aware that this door is closed, but it is not locked. It is your job to hold it shut, and to only open it when you want it to," he said, and she almost gasped when she felt one of her hands being pulled from the twist she had them in across her chest. She didn't open her eyes, but could feel Jareth's hands lightly taking one of hers. She felt his fingers gently brush against hers, her skin now sensitive and hyper-attentive. And she felt the warmth of his skin as he placed her hand, flat palm, against his chest. He took hold of her wrist with one hand, while covering her hand with the other and secured it there. He pressed down, forcing her hand to apply pressure against his heart and moved it around in a tiny circle. She gulped at this, not anticipating that she would react so feverishly, that she would react at all. She could feel his heart beat beneath her hand in a slow and steady rhythm. "Place your hand on the door. Feel it against you. Make it real. Feel the force of your hand as you hold it closed, and the force of what you keep locked behind it," he said, in barely more than a whisper, and locked his gaze hard on her face. He paused, observing the way her eyes twitched beneath their lids. "Do you feel it?" he asked. She seemed to wince then, as if struggling. She wanted to say yes, but instead of a door, all she could feel or envision was Jareth's chest. This was not good. But she got what he was trying to do, and shoo'd away her thoughts and focused, with all her might, at the task at hand. Finally, she bit her lip and nodded.

"Yes."

"Good. Now, this is the level of mental awareness you must keep yourself in at all times. The door will not stay closed unless you hold it. It will only open when you want it to. Focus on this until it becomes second nature. Do you understand?" he asked, and rose a brow slightly when he felt her hand start to push against him of its own volition.

"Yeah, I think I get it," she answered, and shifted back when she felt a force press against her hand. She stumbled against the dresser as Jareth stepped forward and leaned into her. She felt his hand tighten around hers and felt his breath against her cheek as he whispered in her ear,

"Now I want you to open your eyes, but remember to keep the door closed," he whispered, and kissed her cheek. He moved, and ran his tongue along her ear, lightly and teasingly pressing his lips down the side of her neck. Sarah shivered and reflexively tried pulling her hand away from his chest, but he held it in place. "Focus," he whispered, and only released her hand once he was sure she wouldn't remove it. Then he lowered his hands and grasped the back on her thighs, tugging her up and sitting her on the dresser in one swift, much too sudden, movement.

Sarah tried not to gasp. She tried not to react. She tried not to do anything but keep that damn door closed. She found herself grimacing, screwing her eyes shut as tight as they would go, and was left unable to act against Jareth nestling himself between her legs. He pulled his face from her neck and brushed his thumbs across her cheeks.

"I said, eyes open."

Slowly, wincingly, Sarah opened her eyes one at a time. She gulped, and found her hand trembling against his chest. His eyes were intense, much too intense for her to deal with, so she stared passed him. She needed to quit this, stop being so nervous. Jareth had told her what to do, and now she needed to do it. If she could, if she could do this, he would leave her alone. That alone was enough motivation to send her focus into overdrive. She schooled her breathing and steadied herself, completely indifferent to the position Jareth had put her in.

Jareth leaned in again. Only, instead of drifting towards her ear, he hovered his lips but a mere centimeter from hers. His eyes were hooded, and a sly little smile curled his lips. His hands gripped the rim of the dresser, holding her prisoner.

"Do you have any idea what I would do, to get you to kiss me like that again?" he asked, oh-so-salaciously. In any other, normal, circumstances, Sarah would have melted into a puddle at his feet.

Sarah's ears tensed.

"No. And I don't want to," she bit out. His hands moved to splay around her thighs.

"Why not? You could draw quite a bargain." She could feel his fingers spidering up her legs.

"Because. If I started using consensual kisses as leverage, they would lose their potency right quick." She tried, very adamantly, to remain cool and collected, maybe even sassy. She'd find out how well that worked for her. Jareth smiled, his lips just barely touching hers. She could feel his breath against her.

"I don't think anything could make your mouth any less potent," he said, and, against her preparation, kissed her, so sweet and chaste, that she was wondering who this creature was and what it had done with Jareth.

His hands gripped the junction of her thighs and squeezed, forcing her legs to press against his hips, while his smile moved to kiss down her jaw. All the while, Sarah's mental self was pushing against that damn door with all her might.

"I like you dressed this way. It brings back...memories."

"Yes. Unpleasant ones."

He laughed against her neck.

"Your body glows in the light. And your skin tastes of both the sun and heaven. I wish I had kissed you then, like in your dream. I should have," he said, lightly kissing, tenderly licking, not wanting nor trying to conceal the pleasure he found in tasting and savoring her like she was nothing more than a big juicy steak. Sarah gulped.

His hands started to roam again, molding to the contours of her hips and waist. He sucked on the crook of her neck, and rose a hand to engulf and caress her shoulder.

"You're wet," he said, mimicking their first encounter on the track, a night that now seemed oh so long ago, and ran the tips of his free hand down her side and across the waist of her shorts. His touch was light and tentative, successful in his attempt to tease and taunt her senses, as well as her grip on the handle of her mental barricade. She rose her eyes to the ceiling. "I wish you knew how wonderful you smell. I wish you knew what it does to me, to Roldan and Davion. If you knew, you would crave it as much as we do." A shiver ran down Sarah's spine at that, but she tried to ignore it. It felt as though mad beasts were pounding against the door, but she realized it was just the thump of his heartbeat. He wasn't messing around with this whole seduction thing. She needed to stay focused.

Suddenly, or maybe she just hadn't been paying close enough attention, Jareth's head moved from her shoulder, and his hands from her waist. He pulled the hair tie from her hair and buried his hands in it, pulling her in as he kissed her. Sarah whimpered in surprise, but kept her cool. She didn't reciprocate. She didn't do anything at all. Jareth sucked on her lower lip and, after a moment to savor, pulled back to rest his forehead against hers.

"Your kiss is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. I want more. I crave it and I will have it," he said, or rather decreed. Sarah took in a sharp breath and tore her eyes from his. She had nowhere else to look, so she closed her eyes again, focusing on keeping the door closed. She had no idea what she was doing, but Jareth hadn't stopped yet, which meant she had to be doing something right. She wondered how much longer this would continue, and just how far he would go.

"No, you won't," she bit out, but only scowled when she heard him start laughing. She peeped an eye open.

"Keep your eyes open, Sarah. You won't have the luxury of closing your eyes to concentrate when in a public setting," he lectured. And so, she fluttered them open. That's when his thumbs began to stroke her cheeks. "And besides, your eyes are too beautiful to be hidden behind a scowl," he said, and the total bullshit level of fluffy sweetness he was bestowing on her nearly sent her over the edge. But there was a voice in the back of her head saying that this was all an act, he was trying to trip her up. No, she wouldn't fall for it. Too much was on the line. If she could do this tonight, then tomorrow and the next night and the night after that would only be easier for her, right? And then he wouldn't molest her. At all. And that was a good thing. ...Right?

"You're really laying it on thick, aren't you?" she asked, haughtily. Jareth smirked.

"Laying on what, exactly? You think I'm not whole-hearted when I say you are a beauty rare to this world?" he asked. Sarah tried not to fret. Usually, when boys piled on the compliments it just got irritating, but with Jareth...she wasn't sure, but it seemed his admiration was something she greatly desired. She recognized this as truth in a nanosecond and quickly became disgusted with it. She wanted so much from him, and there was absolutely zero reason for her to want anything from him.

"Um, no. I doubt that I am rare in any world." She grew slightly confused when he began to chuckle.

"You weren't lying when you said you don't like to be pounded with flattery," he said, and it took her a minute to remember what in the world he was talking about. That's when the memory came back, of the day she was taken. She was talking to Jared (or rather, Jareth pretending to be Jared) and she'd told him she didn't like to be, quote, _pounded with flattery_. For some reason, she was surprised that he remembered that. And was also surprised with the sudden thought, or idea, that maybe the reason he wasn't overly complimentary was for that very reason. She found herself thinking back to all the times she was disappointed that he hadn't cared enough -like when he explained his reasons for wanting to marry her, and what he meant by saying he was getting to know her. She had hoped for more from him...was he holding back because he thought that was what she wanted? That train of thought seemed so absurd she almost laughed out loud at it. Jareth wasn't that sentimental. He also wasn't that dense.

"Flattery that is as transparent as water? No," she said, committing to her firm resolve. Jareth moved his hands to hold her neck.

"Oh, so you prefer something that is more devout then?"

"Most people do." He huffed with a reflex of laughter, then leaned down and kissed the spot behind her ear.

"I don't hand out endearments that are undeserved, and that is the most endearing endearment I can give you," he said, and for as clinical a fashion in which he said it, the way his words reverberated through her tingling skin couldn't have been more profound. He started to suck at her neck, as his hands became more active by moving to wrap about her thighs again. She could feel his thumbs nearing her groin, and bit her lip in the effort to remain in control. He inhaled deeply, and tentatively brushed one of his thumbs over her center. "Tell me, Sarah, am I having any affect on you?" he asked, with a light quirk of highhandedness that was breaching the realm of tantalization to encroach on that of the erotic. She closed her eyes again, feeling her mental strength fading fast, but was granted divine mercy when Jareth then smiled, brushing this thumb over her one more time, and began pulling away from her completely. She opened her eyes, and let out a small breath of relief. He stared her down for a moment, knowing she clung to the edge. "Hm, you're doing very well," he said, and then proceeded to turn and walk away from her.

_Wait- Wha? Is that it? We're done? I won? I won!_

Sarah couldn't help but beam at the back of Jareth's head as she tried to realize that, not only had she won, but that Jareth in fact had not cheated. She couldn't believe it. That was so...bearable. But, then again, he had said he would go easy on her tonight. _Pfff, so what. I won! _ And that was something to celebrate. Her mind came back to her to find him a few steps away.

"Wait -I did it then? I won?" she asked, just for clarification sake. He turned back and threw her a smirk over his shoulder.

"Oh, now you're excited," he said, sarcastically, and continued to walk away. Sarah hopped down from the dresser, feeling so invigorated and dare she say -giddy- something which soon dimmed when she realized he was still walking away from her.

"Are you leaving?" she asked, not quite sure why she was disappointed. He stopped and turned to face her.

"I've had a rather trying day. I thought I might share your company for dinner."

Sarah blinked at him, momentarily thrown off. Hmm, well that was surely different. Usually, he just kicked back and gave her some snarky comment about how she really didn't have any say in the matter. But what happened just now was actually somewhat...polite. She pursed her lips at him, and crossed her arms to help hide her midriff as she approached him.

"Ok, then can I go take a shower now?" she asked. Jareth looked over her, and looked somewhat saddened by what he saw.

"If you must," he said, and she didn't need a starting gun or a green flag to send her racing off into the bathroom.

* * *

Sarah waded in the warm waters of her bath, deeply wishing she had a shower head instead. It was nice to scrub off the grime, but that was almost irrelevant since all it meant was that she was now sitting in a tub full of grimy water. But, she couldn't really complain, she did have every manner of scrubber, soap, and oil she could possibly dream of. And thanks, rather begrudgingly, to Jareth, she no longer had to worry about disinfecting her knee. She hugged her knees and gucked at the water, still unable to believe he actually did that. For some reason, she found it so skeevy. _Ew and he kissed me afterwards! UGH! _ She openly grimaced then, not having realized it at the time. _ How disgusting is that?_ She splashed the water in frustration, and glared around the bathroom.

"He's doing this on purpose..." she murmured out loud, scanning her eyes suspiciously around the room. All day, and even yesterday, he'd been acting so nice and charming. She hated it. He was making her like him when she really didn't want to. It was all a part of his plan, she knew it. A part of his plan to make her "succumb to his charms". Well fat chance that was going to happen. She growled at her reflection in the water. She was always at odds with him. When he was mean she wanted him to be nice, and when he was nice she wanted him to be mean. But, even so, it was nice to be able to get along with him rather than cower in fear. And it seemed he was at least trying to be considerate after that whole episode the other night. "Rrrrrrgggggghhhhh," she grumbled, and sank beneath the water.

She came out with a towel wrapped firmly around her, and forced herself not to seek out Jareth's whereabouts as she b-lined it to the pile of clothing she had already laid out on her bed. She took it, and went back inside. The second time she came out, she was dressed in a pair of sleep shorts and a T-shirt. She was starting to get the hang of this whole magic dresser thing, and although everything was still in Underground fashion, it was more to her Aboveground tastes. She saw Jareth lounging on the couch and joined him in one of the opposing chairs. He was staring into a crystal, and by the look on his face it wasn't a happy sight. She waited to see if he would break the silence, and spoke up when he didn't.

"So...you said something about dinner?" she quirked, fiddling with her toes as she sat with her knees pulled up in the chair. Jareth peered up out of the corner of his eye, briefly taking in her apparel, then looked away.

"I believe so. Are you hungry?" he asked, shifting to prop his boots up on the coffee table.

"Yes, starving actually. Can I pick?" she asked, earning herself a raised eyebrow from Jareth, who, on one hand, seemed intrigued by her fervor, but on the other, looked like he couldn't have cared less. She didn't wait for an answer, and hopped up to retrieve her little bell on the dining table. She brought it back with her, and sat back down, ringing it before placing it on the coffee table.

"So, aside from your tumble, how was your day?" he asked. Sarah peered up.

"Um, good, I guess. It was nice to get outside and run."

"Hm, yes. The fresh air does seem to have lightened your mood," he said, though she was pretty sure he meant it only to himself. She ignored it and shifted in her seat, watching him as he gazed off at nothing. She didn't mind her blatant staring tonight; she felt more confident knowing she won tonight's round. She thought about asking how his day went, and then remembered something.

"How was your day? Did anything...bad happen?" she asked. Jareth quirked her a brow.

"Bad? No, I would say not." Sarah pursed her lips at him. She just couldn't figure out what the hell was up with Roldan. She knew something had happened, something to make Roldan nervous. And he thought it was between she and Jareth? But it couldn't have been. Hmm... She looked down to his shirt, and asked,

"What's all that red stuff on your shirt?" But before he could answer, a Goblin came scurrying in with their food.

It set the tray before Sarah, effectively distracting her, and no sooner dashed away. Jareth started to sit up, curious as to why she seemed to grow more excited all of the sudden. She moved to sit on her knees on the floor and removed the lid. At first, Jareth wasn't sure what he was seeing.

"What is that?" he asked. Sarah looked up to him with a smile. And in that split second, that little smile, with her damp hair, sitting on the floor beside the fire in her nightwear, he thought he'd just been given a glimpse of the heaven his future might hold. It was a brief moment, one gone in the blink of an eye, but he treasured it.

"It's Chinese food, duh," she said, mockingly, and began arranging all her various entrees. Jareth continued to look puzzled. She grinned again and waved him down. It was just like breakfast. Hilarious. At her gesture, he moved to join her on the floor. "Here, these are some of my favorites," she said, and handed him a plate. Jareth took it, not bothering to ask what it was, and watched as she reached for a pair of chopsticks. She peered up then, sensing his eyes on her. "Oh, these are chopsticks. I don't really know how to use them, but I find it fun to try. You might just wanna use a fork," she informed him, and proceeded to struggle. Jareth watched her with slight bewilderment, wondering why, if she knew she couldn't do it, persisted in making a mockery of her meal. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying not to laugh as she tried to pick up a scoop of rice, only to have it trickle back down to her plate.

As Sarah fumbled with her food, she wondered why in the hell she didn't feel more awkward. Surely after that afternoon's kiss, and that evening's...whatever you called it, she should be...more on guard? Have more on her mind? But no. She didn't. She wasn't worried at all. She just felt...good. And that was good. She really felt like she was turning a new leaf with this whole giving the Underground a chance thing. So she chose to leave it be, and not worry about not worrying. She grinned as she ate.

"You're smiling again."

She peered up to find Jareth watching her eat -like always.

"I think I've seen you smile more today than in the entire time I've known you."

She tried not to blanch at that and tore her eyes away from him.

"Oh yea? Why, have you been counting?" she asked, jokingly.

"Maybe," he murmured. She peered up to him again, but he had looked away, deciding (for perhaps the first time ever) to focus on his food instead of her. "This is good," he said, thankfully.

"Yea...I'm surprised you haven't had more Aboveground cuisine."

"I may travel there frequently, but my visits are anything but extended."

"So...earlier...about what you said...you don't kidnap humans? What do you do in the Aboveground then?" she asked.

"I do...other things. Sometimes business. Sometimes not." His answer seemed ominous to her for obvious reasons. She narrowed her eyes on him.

"Sometimes not? What does that mean, exactly?" she asked. Jareth twirled a noodle around his fork.

"Oh, I think you know," he said, with just a smidgen of snark.

"Hmm," was all she said, and turned away, not wanting to let him get a rise out of her -something which he was obviously trying to do.

"Why do you ask?" Sarah shrugged.

"More of my morbid curiosity, I guess." Jareth laughed to himself. "What?" He started shaking his head.

"Nothing..." She started to turn her glare away when his voice faded, but turned it back when he started speaking again, "The plans for the Sulu renovations are nearly finalized."

"Oh yea?"

"Yes. I thought that maybe, at some point, you would like to accompany me to oversee construction. It would be a good opportunity for you to explore more of the kingdom, as well as present yourself to some of our more outstretched subjects." Sarah perked up in her spot on the floor. He looked down at his plate as he spoke, keeping his voice sterile and completely neutral, but to her, it sounded like he was offering her a trip to Disney Land.

"Really? That would be great!" she said, the level of energy in her voice drawing his gaze. She settled back down once their eyes met.

"I'm glad you agree," he said, sounding somewhat bewildered by her fervor. She didn't care. She was feeling good, and she wasn't about to let her awkwardness for Jareth take that away.

"When will we be going?" she asked, turning back to her plate.

"In a month or two. Construction won't take very long. Goblins can be very determined workers."

"Why don't you just use magic to fix it?"

"Because I manage an economy, remember?"

"Oh...yeah."

They spent the rest of their dinner in relative silence. One of them would speak up every now and then, but Sarah was more comfortable since the silence was no longer awkward. Once their plates were gone, Sarah decided on a topic of discussion. She'd been talking with Roldan about the different areas of the kingdom, and had garnered a few questions here and there. This led to questions about Davion, or more specifically, the Northern Kingdom and the massive stack of quotas she had seen Jareth combing through the previous night. This lead to Jareth's explanation of the various franchises the north offered, and inevitably, talk of the massive forest fire that had wiped out much of the front that spring. Strangely, and ironically, this brought something totally different to Sarah's mind. She watched the fire as they talked, and the combination brought back something she'd been dying to do for a while now.

Completely ignoring Jareth, she scooted away from the coffee table and sat by the fire, taking her bell with her. She sat Indian-style, with her back to him, and rang the bell. Jareth watched.

"You're hungry again?" he asked, bemused. She glanced back over her shoulder.

"I eat a lot, remember?" she said, dismissively, and turned back to the fire. It wasn't long until Jareth joined her. Another Goblin appeared, with another trademark tray, and left just as quickly.

"What have you conjured now?" he asked. Sarah ignored him, and took off the lid. Again, Jareth had no idea what he was looking at.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of s'mores before?" she asked, somewhat rhetorically. Jareth merely rose his brow at her. She rolled her eyes away and stabbed a couple marshmallows onto the end of a fire-poker. "I've been wanting to do this for a while now. Usually, I only have s'mores when I go camping, which is once a year, if I'm lucky. But since I have this fireplace, I can have 'em whenever I want," she explained, and it did not go unchecked by Jareth that this was the first time Sarah had offered up information about her Aboveground life without it being full of hatred and resentment towards him. He observed with curiosity as she held the metal rod over the fire.

It was silent again, but Sarah didn't mind. The crackle of the fire was enough sound for her, as she was just enjoying the fact that she didn't have to keep her guard up tonight. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, not having to worry about whether or not Jareth would flip switches and lunge at her. No, he was keeping true to his word, keeping a healthy distance and minding his everything. She waited until her mallows turned to fireballs before pulling them out and blowing out the flame.

"Some people like them toasted, but I like mine charred," she said, and engaged in the process of making both she and Jareth a chocolatey, gram-crackery, marshmallowy sandwich. She held it out to him, but he was hesitant to take it. "What? It's good," she said, though he continued to look skeptical. Finally, he gave in to her glare and plucked it from her hand, though now he resigned to hold it as if he were examining a science project. Sarah shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You put it in your mouth and eat it. But watch out, they're messy," she said, and took a bite of her own. Melted marshmallow oozed every which way. Jareth watched her with intrigue as she fumbled to cover her mouth and clear the mess. She wiped her mouth of crumbs and sucked on her fingers, oblivious to Jareth leaning over towards her. When she looked up, it was too late.

He'd leaned in, much too far. Her eyes were wide and her brow was drawn tight, not a very flattering expression given that she was pretty sure her face was still covered in chocolate. There was a light in his eye, or maybe that was just the fire, and his lips had curled on one end. He reached up and brushed his thumb along the corner of her mouth. He pulled it back and sucked on it. Sarah's eyes widened some more, causing his grin to stretch. He smiled at her something wicked, then leaned back, without a word, turned his gaze towards the fire and bit into his own s'more, continuing to grin wickedly at the flickering flames.

* * *

Some time passed. Sarah wasn't sure how much, but she'd had her fill of food for the night and was pretty sure she'd just eaten back everything she'd worked off. Jareth hadn't eaten anything more than the first s'more she made him, and had spoken even less. She didn't care, not one bit. When she finally drew her gaze from the fire, she noticed it was pitch black outside. This startled her, having not even started all the readings Roldan had assigned her. She looked down to her toes and was about to groan, but held back on Jareth's account. She glanced back and saw it was somewhere around ten. Not good. She covered the tray and placed it on the coffee table; at some point, a Goblin had come and taken the other, so she assumed it wouldn't be long before it came back for this one. She wondered how they knew.

With that on her mind, she stood and snuggled herself into the corner of the couch, next to her pile of books waiting on the end table. Jareth had turned to look back at her movement and soon moved to sit on the opposite end of the couch. It was strange -his behavior. Earlier he was normal, but now...it seemed like there was something on his mind. The way he stared out at the fire, his look was intense and borderline unpleasant, and the way he just seemed to be following her around -it was...worrying. She thought to ask, but didn't. She curled her knees up and peeled open the binding of the first book instead. It crinkled and popped, bits of dust falling into her lap. She took a deep breath and dove in.

She wasn't really sure if she expected Jareth to take some kind of interest in what she was doing, but he didn't. He didn't ask why she was reading, or what. He just stared -like always. And again, it seemed as though he had something pressing on his mind. She tried not to pay any attention to it. She had to learn all this after all; Roldan had made a point of it that she figure out why the coronation of King Ruben of Yore was so important. She'd managed to read through the first book with no problem, moving onto the second and even third, but that was when she ran into some trouble. This book, just so happened to be written in old world calligraphy. She'd been reading the same page for about ten minutes now, and had made no headway. She was starting to grow frustrated, and wouldn't admit that that was partially due to Jareth's continued silence.

"Are you having trouble?" he asked, and she had to hold herself back from glaring up at him. _ All this time he's just sat there staring at me and now he speaks? _

"You could say that," she muttered.

"What are you reading?" he asked.

"I have no freaking clue."

"Then why are you reading it?"

She turned and gave in to glare at him this time.

"Because I have to." Jareth looked ...confused.

"Why?"

"Because I have a test on this on Friday," she answered. Jareth just continued to look more and more perplexed. Sarah huffed and rolled her eyes. "Roldan's been assigning me freaking homework every night. I'm up to my neck in dusty old books."

"Really? He's giving you homework?" he asked, his lips stretching into a cheeky smile. Apparently, there was something greatly amusing about that.

"Yea, in case you were wondering why I've been reading all these stupid books," she said, obviously exasperated. Jareth sat up a little bit.

"Actually, I thought you were just interested in reading -given your interest in theater. I can't see what books you have from here, and I know there is a great collection of Aboveground fiction in my library. I thought that perhaps you had stumbled upon it," he explained, which in the end made total sense to her. She pursed her lips at him, annoyed that she couldn't be angry.

"I didn't know you had books from the Aboveground," was all she said. What she really wanted to ask, was why he was being so quiet tonight. Jareth shifted up a little more.

"I have any book you could possibly seek out."

"Hm, I'll keep that in mind," she said, and turned her attention back to her book.

"What is it Roldan is having you read up on?" he asked. Sarah peered out of the corner of her eye, suspicious of whether or not he actually cared.

"Why? Do you think you can help?"

"Probably not," he said, with a smile. She couldn't help but crack a smirk in return.

"I'm reading about the formation of the kingdom of Yore, and why that is important to the Goblin Kingdom," she stated. Jareth hummed as if he understood, but didn't really say much more. He shifted up, and scooted until he sat beside her. His body was angled towards her, with one leg bent on the couch so he could lean towards her. One of his arms wrapped around the back of the couch as he leaned, caging her in. She tried not to grow too stiff as he brought his head level with hers. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, and saw him smirk as his eyes scanned her page.

"Hm, I must admit, Roldan is being much more thorough than I would have thought. He makes a much better teacher than I," he said, with some praise it seemed. Sarah tried to huddle into herself and avoid touching him, something that was nearly impossible to do. He brought his free hand to trace along the worn page of her book. "I can help you translate this, if you'd like," he offered.

"Um, I can do it. It's just hard to understand the handwriting." Jareth smirked again.

"Sarah, not only is this written in medieval calligraphy, but it's in French. Or have you not noticed?" he asked, and gave her an amused eye. Sarah scowled and stuck her face nose deep into the text. No way. Was that really why she was having such a hard time? Wow, maybe she was getting tired, or maybe she was just too distracted to notice. "Roldan is knowledgeable in many things, but to him western Aboveground languages are all one in the same," he said, and ran the tip of his index finger down the page. Sarah watched as the text began to shift and morph in its wake. She started to flip through the pages and saw that the entire book was now written in English and in a visually relaxing typed font.

"Um, thank you. This helps a lot," she said, trying not to sound too grateful, yet not too unappreciative.

"How much more do you have to go through?" he asked.

"Um...I think I only have two more books after this."

"All to find out why Yore is important? I knew Roldan was a bit anal but..." She peered up to him as he spoke, hiding her amusement. She could see the pale blue of his irises, and examined the stark markings around his eyes. She wondered if they were just make-up, or something more. Roldan didn't have them, nor Davion. She was about to ask this when he spoke up. "Don't tell Roldan, but I'll help you cheat, just this once." Sarah quirked a brow at him. "King Ruben was originally one of the more prominent lords under the High King. After his death, there was much feuding between the districts, as they were referred to at that time. Yore originally encompassed a large share of what is now the Goblin Kingdom. Ruben, eager to gain alliance to secure his own thrown, found cooperation with Lord Exelion -ruler of what would later be known as the Goblin Kingdom. A strong warrior and strategist, Exelion proved to be Ruben's most vital aid, and as reward, was granted a portion of land from Ruben's kingdom, or Yore, and so the boundary was drawn. This is significant because the land acquired from Yore borders the Athom Sea, which, as was later discovered, was hiding a great deal of oil and mineral deposits beneath it's surface. These additional resources helped increase Exelion's power during those early years, or Dark Ages. It is believed that without having that oil to trade and fuel our industry, the Goblin Kingdom may have fallen to other invading parties, such as Erastor and early Meyhaven. And since it was King Ruben who had given us this land, he is commemorated as an essential part of the Goblin Kingdom's history and continued success."

Sarah stared open-mouth as Jareth spoke. _ Wow. Someone knows their history. Well, I guess that's expected of a King._ As she digested everything he said, she realized, once again, that there was just so much history to this place. SO MUCH. And she wanted to know it, all of it. But, she quickly realized, she would much rather have Jareth tell her stories than be quizzed on these stuffy old books. Soon, she found herself gawking awkwardly, noticing that Jareth had stopped talking moments ago and she was still just staring. She also noticed how close they were, and that his arm was still wrapped around the back of the couch. She knew this move. This was what teenage boys did when they took a girl to a movie. She turned away and looked down to her book.

"Well, thank you, that helps. But I'm sure he's going to ask me a bunch of really specific questions that I would only know if I actually read." She didn't see him smirk.

"So what?" he asked. She looked back to him. "So what if he asks you questions you can't answer. What's he going to do, fail you?" he asked, but she couldn't figure out if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Um...aren't I supposed to learn and do well? Wouldn't that be passing his tests as well?" she asked, skeptically.

"Yes, but I can assure you, you will be able to get by without knowing a few minor details here or there." She narrowed her eyes on him.

"You didn't do very well in school, did you?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because. You seem like the rebellious type who'd rather toss their book out the tenth story window than actually open it." His smile grew then, like a Cheshire Cat.

"I'll have you know, I excelled in all of my academics."

Sarah pursed her lips at him.

"Well good for you. Could you please not pester me so I can try to excel in mine?"

"I have a feeling you'll do just fine. I notice you have some geographical books over there, is there anything else you would like help with?" he asked, and stared blankly at the look of confused abhorrence Sarah shot at him. He rose an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Why are you being so nice?" she asked, suspiciously. He furrowed his brow on her. "What do you want?" Jareth's furrowed brow was joined by a frown then.

"I wanted to help you. Do I need another reason?" There was a hint of offense in his voice, but just a hint.

"You usually do." His features started to harden.

"Casting me as the villain again, I see?" he said, and shifted to move away from her. His gaze lowered, and after reading his expression, did she realize what a huge mistake she'd just made.

"No- I'm, I'm sorry, Jareth. I didn't mean-" she tried and failed, repeatedly.

"Of course you did," he muttered and pushed away from her. "Don't fret, I'll leave you alone now," he said, sounding defeated and full of irritation. Sarah frowned. Shit. She felt bad. Really bad. Maybe he _was_ just being nice. Stupid.

"Wait, Jareth," she said, and almost reached out to him. "You don't have to leave." He stopped, and turned to give her an eye.

"Who said I was leaving? I'm merely leaving you alone," he said, and slouched back in the couch as he pouted. Sarah continued to frown at him, not knowing what she should or wanted to do, but wondering all the while why he didn't leave. And as she stared at him, glaring down at nothing, did his words come back to her: _You're not the only one who's alone, Sarah_. Was that why he always refused to leave? Because he'd rather be angry with her than alone? That was so sad. But -but wait a minute. Since when was this a pity party for Jareth? She shook her head, sick of being conflicted. In the end, she merely turned back to her book, while he brooded, though she continued to watch him out of the corner of her eye.

After a few minutes, he conjured a crystal. She couldn't see what he was looking at, but recognized his grave expression as the same one she'd seen on him earlier that evening. Hm.. She tried, with all her might, to tug her attention away from her guilt and back to her book. She'd managed to read a chapter or two, but it was no use. She closed the book slightly and looked over to Jareth. He was still staring intently at his crystal, but seemed to sense her stare.

"I think...today was rather pleasant, don't you?" he asked, sounding distracting and tense. Sarah drew her brow a bit.

"Uh, sure."

She saw him scowl then, and exhale through his nose as if conflicted with something. He sat up and moved towards her again, wrapping his arm around the back of her, resuming his posture of engulfing her into the corner of the couch. She waited for him to say something.

"I've been thinking..." he started, but stopped. Sarah waited for him to pick back up on his own. "about your behavior, and about the other night." Sarah started to tense, not sure where this conversation was going. "You've been acting very well these past couple of days," he said, and looked up to meet her in the eye, she tried not to blanch. "I'd like to give you something." Sarah furrowed her brow, mildly confused and concerned. He seemed to be struggling with this. This wasn't like him.

"Um, ok," she answered, recalling his sentiment that, not only if she misbehaved would she be punished, but if she behaved, she would be rewarded. Is that what this was? She waited, anxious and admittedly excited. An unsure Jareth was something of intrigue. He rose the crystal in his hand, causing her to look down at it.

"I've been thinking of what you said. You know...I know, I cannot give it to you. Not right now. But I made you a promise, and like I said earlier, I never go back on my word. So, in the meantime, I'd like to offer you this...as a type of...gift, or peace offering, whatever you will," he said. Sarah's eyes started to widen.

"What is it?" she asked, growing increasingly hopeful by the second.

"It's...a dream," he said. Sarah tensed and look up into his eyes. His gaze was hard, but she could see it was because he was trying to cover up his uncertainty.

"A dream?" she repeated. Jareth sighed.

"I can't -I won't take you back. Though I told you that one day I would allow you to see them again. That was not a lie. But as I said, in the mean time, I would like you to have this."

"I don't understand. Why are you giving me a dream?"

"I thought that maybe, if you so wanted, if you ever felt like seeing them, you could have a place to go, and they would be there for you. If you hold this while you sleep, you'll be able to share your dreams, that way...you may still be with them, in some small form," he started to explain, and as he spoke, she slowly reached out and took it. He looked down on her as she examined it. "And what's more, I will not enter your head should you dream with this." Sarah's head shot up so fast it was like the end bit was the only part that actually mattered to her.

"What? Really?" she asked. Jareth lowered his gaze. "So...you're saying I can see them in my dreams? And it will be the real them? Not figments?" Jareth shook his head.

"Consider this my attempt at an apology," he added.

Sarah felt something warm start to burgeon from deep within her chest. Just the thought of being connected to her family again was enough to bring tears to her eyes. She gazed at the crystal, nearly humbled by it. She grinned down at her lap, unbelievably happy. He was being so generous. He didn't have to give her this. He didn't have to give her anything. And on top of it, he said he wouldn't interfere while she had it. She felt very warm and fuzzy all of the sudden, but wasn't sure how to go about. She looked up to him, and blinked the hot sting from her eyes.

"Thank you, Jareth. This means a lot to me."

"So you accept?" he asked, though it seemed he was referring more to his apology rather than his gift. Sarah bit her lip.

"Yes. Thank you," she said. He smiled.

"There, was that so hard?" he asked, playfully, bringing a full smile to her face and a very small laugh. If she didn't know any better, she would have said she felt bashful for some reason. He was being so nice today, so nice and...flirty and sweet. A part of her conscience whispered from the shadows that she should be suspicious of this. He was being ...too nice. Some of the pervy threat was still there, but the rest of it was almost out of character. But was she really not going to accept his kindness? How would that be beneficial? She was trying to build bridges after all...right? No, while there was something fishy to be said about his charm, she thought it rather pointless to be overtly suspicious of it. There couldn't possibly be motive for it, right? She was starting to over think all this. So what if he was being nice; that could only be a good thing. Surely there was no cause for concern.

She was wrong.

She lowered her gaze to her lap, but when she looked back up to him, she wasn't quite ready for what she saw.

He was already leaning into her, but had leaned in even further now. The hand wrapped around her had started to grip the arm of the couch, and his gaze on her was hot and unwavering. She looked up at him, all innocent-like, and slowly sank deep into the cushions when she saw his grin slowly stretch and then curl from ear to ear. Her eyes widened in intimidation.

He bore fang as he said,

"I win."

* * *

Jareth's grin carved itself so wide, and his teeth became so sharp, Sarah was sure he would gobble her up within the next moment or two. His eyes became precise and severe, and the shadows his hair cast over his face seemed to darken with an aura that he had only just now permitted to be seen. Sarah's mouth dropped open as she fumbled with speech, and her wide, bemused little eyes only watched as he reached up and plucked the book from her hand, tossing it to the floor behind her, and then leisurely plucked the crystal from her other hand, and set it on the end table. He'd leaned in even closer to do this. Sarah pushed herself back into the couch as far as she could go.

"What-what do you mean, you win?" she asked, sounding confused and horrified because something deep down told her that she should be. She tried not to tremble when he laughed.

"I told you to keep focus," his low voice rumbled, as his free hand settled on the cushion of the couch, caging her in. If Sarah were wearing boots, or any kind of footwear for that matter, she would have been shaking in them.

"Keep focus on what?" she asked. Her eyes slowly trailed down when he reached up and plucked one of her nervous little hands and placed it flat against his chest.

"Your hand...is no longer on the door, is it?" he asked, and with one swift tug, yanked her up so they sat nose to nose. He didn't bother waiting for her gasp as his hands curled around the hem of her shirt and ripped it up and off her. Her eyes shot out at him, and immediately she started kicking herself back across the couch. Jareth's predatory grin was soon to follow.

"Jareth! What the- What the Hell are you doing?!" she squealed, fighting hopelessly as he continued, without fault, to encroach over her panicky, flailing body. He started laughing again, a sound that vibrated with a malicious sense of victory.

"Oh come now, Sarah, don't play dumb," he said, reaching up for the waist of her shorts. She didn't think twice about kicking him, consequences be damned. What the Hell was even happening right now?

"Jareth- stop it! What are you-" She didn't get the chance to say much else before Jareth's iron grip flung her shorts down and away to join her shirt. Her face blushed violently against her will, and she started to squirm more feverishly.

"I told you, if you slipped up even once-"

"What? No! I won that game! What are you- You can't!" she screamed, fussing and making a tussle out of the couch. Jareth looked as though he'd never had more fun. He laughed at her some more, before raising himself to lay out flat against her, crushing her into the couch.

"I can," he rumbled, salaciously. Sarah glared. "We discussed the rules. You knew the terms I set. I would try to stimulate your pheromone output, and you would try to keep them at bay. You've been doing an excellent job so far, but as it seems, there are more ways than one for me to crawl under your skin," he added, in sheer revelry. Sarah pushed up against him.

"No. You cheated! I won tonight's round!"

"Really? I could have sworn I'd just felt a tingle of something decadent radiating from that quivering little body of yours just now. I promised not to lie, and I have not, whether it work in your favor or mine," he said. Sarah started shaking her head.

"No. That doesn't count. Tonight's round ended already. I won." Jareth continued to smile gallantly at her.

"Is that so? When exactly did the round end?" he asked.

"When we were standing by the bed. You stopped and walked away and I asked you if I'd really won-"

"And at what point in time did I ever say we had stopped playing? Or were you taking for granted that I walking away from you meant we were finished?" The haughtiness in his voice could not be matched as Sarah stared on, appalled.

"That's- that's not fair!" she screamed, and started pushing against him again, ignoring the fact that she was now pressed up against him in nothing but her bra and underwear. It didn't take much for Jareth to capture her arms and pin them to her sides.

"Oh I think it is. The most important part of these lessons is learning to be constantly on guard. Nothing can be unexpected. There can be no surprises. Do you think you will be warned and prepared to shield yourself when confronted in the real world, among people who will be purposely trying to deceive you, just as I have?" He spoke clearly and rationally as he held her down, and kept his gaze locked on hers until she calmed down enough to process what he'd said. It took a minute or two, but soon Sarah's grunts for escape turned to grunts of frustration in another respect. She closed her eyes briefly and scowled. _Stupid. How stupid could you be, Sarah! You should have known he would do this. He was being nice tonight on purpose. Fuck! And I let him waltz right in! Gaaahhhd Damn It! UGHHH. _ She continued to struggle, but he could sense she was more fighting her own ambivalence than he. Though, with that said, it took her words longer to reach the same conclusion.

"Well, I don't care! Get off of me Jareth!"

"So antagonistic, love," He said, cheekily. Sarah was practically fuming from all the arrogance starting to burgeon in the room.

"Get off of me!"

Jareth held her more firmly, and commanded her attention simply by the intensity of his stare. He seemed more serious all of the sudden.

"I will not. We have an arrangement. I have held up my end, as you must now hold up yours," he said. Sarah froze, as if the implications of his statement having just now dawned on her. Her eyes widened in horror.

"What? I - no. Jareth, I don't want-"

"Sarah-"

Jareth's voice was so low and demanding Sarah thought it dangerous just to look up at him. But she did. She saw his expression hard as stone and even somewhat condescending; but there was also a strange warmth that she wasn't quite sure how to place. His hands shifted to go from clamping her wrists to encasing her hands.

"I, like you, do not wish to have a repeat of the other night. With that said, this _must_ happen, one way or another. I instated this game with you so that you would be well aware of all the rules, of all the consequences and what that meant. That way, you would know what is happening to you at all times and there will be no reason for you to fear it. There would be no reason for you to become upset like last time," he said, and it dawned on Sarah that _that_ was what he thought she was so upset about -that she was surprised and afraid of him touching her ...well, maybe a little...in the beginning. Her eyes started to lower as she thought. "But we have struck a contract, you and I. And I intend to hold you to it. Do you understand?" he asked, more softly than before.

Sarah continued to scrunch her brow as she melded all this over. He had cheated, no doubt about that; he had manipulated her, tricked her. But...but he was right. She should have been paying attention, she should have anticipated trickery from him. And what was so aggravating about that, was that she _did_ have those thoughts and yet she willingly pushed them away, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Well, never again. _ Fool me once, shame on me.._. But, while she was now more prepared for future rounds, she still had to deal with this one. Five times, up to five times she had to let him touch her. That was the deal. No way around it. She cringed to herself.

"I thought you were going to go easy on me tonight?" she asked, peering up at him as if he might smite her at any moment. His smile returned, and he shifted to pull her hands behind her back, cuffing them in place and forcing her back to arch up towards him.

"Oh, believe me, I am."

He tugged on her wrists, as if double checking they were well secured, and sat up off of her. Sarah was quick to scoot herself upright against the arm of the couch, and brought her knees up to her chest in an effort to cover herself.

"I knew there was a reason you were being so nice to me," she muttered, with a glare, though Jareth seemed unaffected by her venomous stare.

"There is a reason for everything," he retorted and, without warning or preamble, reached for the hem of his own shirt and pulled it up and over his head, just as smoothly as he had done to her.

Sarah's face blanched, and she felt her heart give one hard pound against her chest. Jareth was sitting up on his knees, in those wickedly tight pants of his and now shirtless and grinning at her. Sarah's bewitched little eyes couldn't stop themselves from examining every little detail they could find. She'd never seen him so undressed. She'd never seen what his bare torso looked like. Her open mouth closed so she could gulp as she registered her bodily reaction towards his. This was not good. He continued to sit there a moment longer, letting her openly drink him in. He'd felt her signals shoot out at him like a solar flare just then. He tried not to laugh -that would be too haughty of him. Ha. Without taking his eyes from hers, he reached down and clasped the pendant still hung low around his neck. He pulled that over his head too, and let it drop to the floor with a thud. It'd hung so low, Sarah hadn't even realized he was wearing it at all.

"It would seem that you're losing more and more focus by the second, Sarah. It's not good that you break so easily under pressure. One crack, and your whole wall comes crumbling down," he said and crawled up and over the ball that she had placed herself in. She could feel his long hair draping over her knees. She wriggled in her spot.

"Get away from me, Jareth," she snarled and glared away from him. Jareth reached up and pulled her face back.

"Oh come now, what's with all this fussing?" he asked, tenderly almost. Sarah tried bucking him off her. "You're not going to be a sore loser, are you, Sarah?"

"Yes, I am. You tricked me and I don't much appreciate it," she answered, and cringed when he leaned in further, bringing his lips to her ear.

"I played my part, and you played yours. You did very well for the first round. You should be proud." She could feel his lips against her skin as he talked. She made a very nasty sound in response.

"Pff, stow it, Goblin King," she snapped. Jareth laughed, a sound that came as a low rumble deep in his chest. Sarah tried to keep her eyes off of his bare arms.

"Heheh, do you have any idea how much fun this is going to be?" he asked. Sarah started jerking against her cuffs, now fighting him out of sheer frustration rather than fear or surprise. He reached behind her and grabbed both of her wrists, holding her in place. "Why are you still fighting? We made a deal," he asked.

"Because you piss me off, the way you loom over me like a big bad fucking wolf," she snarled, and not two seconds later was Jareth's hand in her mouth, his fingers curling around her teeth and viciously yanking down on her bottom jaw. His eyes were harder, but well controlled.

"_That_ will be your one free pass. I will remind you to mind your tongue, for the next time you curse at me you'll be dealing with something much more unpleasant than a garden snake binding those lovely lips," he said, and after another hard tug, released her mouth. Sarah pursed her lips and pouted up at him, before glaring away. Jareth started to smile, seeing through her angry facade. "You understand the parameters of our agreement, no?" he asked. Sarah glared harder, but nodded. "And you accept them?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"I told you before, there is always a choice. I'm not trying to scare you off. I want you to enjoy it. These guidelines will grant me your consent, so you can no longer accuse me of-" Sarah was about to supply the word _molest_ for him, but wisely thought against it. "-foul play. Do you accept?"

Seconds started to tick.

"Even if I am forced to accept, I can still fight you over it..." She mumbled, to herself it seemed. Jareth's grin became more genuine, pleased and relieved that her antagonization was over her own loss of victory, rather than the prospect of him touching her. He laughed. Suddenly, he took hold of her conjoined wrists once again, and jerked her down so she was laying flat on the couch, keeping himself nose to nose with her along the way.

"As long as we both know it's all a front, you can fight me 'til I bleed," he said, and tauntingly nipped on her lip.

* * *

Sarah was about to take up his offer with earnest, but wisely thought that he probably hadn't meant his words so literally; and besides, there wasn't much hope of her drawing blood in her current state anyway. Instead, she simply resided to flail around like a fish out of water, huffing and puffing as she tried her best to evade Jareth's wanton lips as they kissed a trail across her cheek and down her neck. He lowered himself onto her, using his dead weight to crush all her effort in its tracks. She closed her eyes and grimaced.

"I can sense that you're still fighting yourself. That part is over now, it will be better if you stop trying to hold back. It's time for you to relax..." his low voice hummed against her skin. She shivered all over, though she wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. He ran his hands down her arms and around her waist, his broad touch helping desensitize the electric shocks of anxiety stimulating her skin. She screwed her eyes shut tighter and turned her head away.

"Stop talking," she bit out, nearly grinding her teeth with frustration. Jareth's hands molded to her hips.

"Why? Trying to ignore me, are we? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there is no way in Hell that you could ever hope to ignore what I am about to do to you," he said, kneading his thumbs into the tender flesh of her lower stomach. Sarah gulped. "You see _-right there_, that flare of ecstasy. Your body wants to scream at me. Let it. I told you to hold the door closed, but in this exercise I want you to step away from it all together. Relax, and let everything just flow right out of you. The less build up there is, the easier it will be to hold back. This is beneficial to you, in more ways than one, and you know it." She could feel his hair tickling her chest as he spoke, as well as his smiling lips as he kissed his way down her sternum. She tried to sooth her pulse, knowing he could, without a doubt, feel her heart pounding faster and harder with each word he said.

He moved lower, drawing a circle around her navel with his tongue. She puffed up her chest and tried wriggling out from under him. All he had to do was tighten his grip on her hips, sending her flopping back down to the couch. She nearly growled when he laughed.

"Urggg, you're such a -such a-"

"Such a what, my dear?"

She shot her eyes open and lurched up off the couch.

"Such a scoundrel! A dirty, manipulative little scoundrel!" she yelled. Jareth reared up to meet her nose to nose. His proximity made her want to flinch back, but she held her ground, steeling her expression to stare daggers at him. He gave her a quick once-over, then lazily raised one eyebrow at her, his own expression a torpid contrast to her own.

"Little? What about me do you think is little?" he asked, seemingly amused though completely lackadaisical. Sarah growled.

"UGH," was her rampant response, and she quickly shimmied her legs out from under him.

"Sarah, the longer you insist on fighting me, the longer this will take-" he said, and effortlessly took hold of one of her ankles and dragged her right back down. He planted his hands right at the junction of her thighs and leaned over her, pressing his weight down on his hands to keep her still. His hair was tickling her chest again, and his sneer was only an inch from hers. "You do realize the point of this is to bring you to orgasm, do you not? Usually, that only happens when you allow yourself to enjoy what is being done to you. Now, you can huff and puff all you want, but I will persist on you until our goal is met, no matter how long it takes. So I suggest you start reevaluating the logistics of your present coarse of action, do you understand?"

He held her stare for a long time, slowly breaking through the defensive layers of her angry little eyes. After a moment, he thought he saw something, a brief glimmer that had weaseled its way to the surface. He caught it, and held onto it. That's when he started noticing other seemingly insignificant tremors about her body: the slight tremble in her shoulders, the wideness of her eyes and the irregularity of her heart beat. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, then swiftly moved away from her.

"Stay put a moment, I think I may have something that may help," he said and was no sooner gone from her vision. Sarah shot up immediately, looking back over her shoulder to see where in the world he'd just run off too. He'd gone to walk around the side of her bed, and she had to narrow her eyes as he bent down, once again leaving her vision. _What in the Hell is he doing?_ she wondered, and then tried not to seem to attentive when he suddenly stood and made his way back to her. She tried, very hard, not to watch the way his muscles moved as he walked. Why? Oh why, dear lord, why did he have to take his shirt off?

He came back to her and smirked, satisfied that she had actually listened and hadn't made a mad dash for the hills. She saw him look down his nose at her, and drew her legs up into a ball. He paid no mind, and merely sat on the edge of the couch beside her. She was about to ask what the fuck was up with him, when he leaned forward, and somehow produced that god damned purple scarf from the other night. She opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by the impatient force of Jareth's hands as they yanked and tied the cloth firmly around her eyes.

"There, that's better," he said, with some manner of praise to himself. Sarah started shaking her head, as if that would make any difference.

"What are you doing?! Get this thing off of me!" she demanded, and was left unprepared when Jareth's hand was suddenly in her hair yanking down with mild force, forcing her head to look upwards. Her mouth dropped open from the surprise.

"I don't think you are in any position to be commanding me," he hissed, salaciously. "Now, I do recall how much you settled down after I stole your vision last time. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked being bound and left vulnerable..." he'd leaned in, and took his sweet time as he kissed her with slow, deep licks. Sarah tried to bite him. "Shall I gag you next?" he teased and then leaned in to take advantage of her mouth again. "Hm...no. I enjoy your mouth too much to restrain it, even when it's spitting poison at me," he said, and tightened his fist in her hair to pull her down flat on the couch. Sarah tried not to wince.

His hand left her hair and joined the other as they began pulling down her legs. She tried, with all her might, to keep them locked in place against her chest, but was met with no avail. Jareth's strong hands gripped her knees, and, seemingly without effort, slowly pulled them flat. She kept her knees pressed tight together however, and this he let be -for the time being.

Although Sarah had a pretty good idea of what Jareth was going to do with her, at the same time, she had absolutely no idea what to expect next. She turned her head away and bit her lip, as if bracing for impact, tensing her whole body along the way. It was a good thing she was blind folded, she didn't really want him to see her grimace. She was about to wonder where he'd disappeared to when she felt his hands on her again, stroking up the length of her thighs. She tensed further when he crossed over the lace of her underwear, but relaxed some when he kept going. His hands trailed and wandered all the way to her shoulders, but stopped there to flick down the straps of her bra. She hunched her shoulders as he did this, but said nothing. She expected to feel something, movement as he pulled down her bra, or his hands as they dipped beneath it. But she didn't. She didn't feel anything. She waited a moment that felt like an eternity, then, somewhat subconsciously, she started to relax and even exhaled.

She felt him kiss her heart, and place a hand over her shoulder. She didn't realize he'd moved so close to her ear as he said,

"You're so apprehensive. I want you to relax your body. There is no reason to feel afraid. I would never harm you, and our agreement still stands that I will not take you during these lessons, unless you want me to. You know how good I can make you feel; I've done it before. Just imagine how good you felt those times I made you moan, those times I made your body twist and vibrate for release. I am not your opponent, there is no one to fight here." His words were soft and sensual. For the sake of her sanity, Sarah tried to swallow her pride and do as he said.

"Did you ever think that maybe I'm just not comfortable with being touched like this? Did you ever think that maybe I'm just not ready yet?" she asked. Jareth's hand moved to pull down one of her straps a little further, and then moved to grasp her breast over her bra, pushing it up and kneading her through the material. Sarah tried not to gasp.

"Oh, but I think you are. You just don't know where to start. That's why I'm here," he said, kneading and caressing her with more and more pressure as he spoke. Sarah gulped, and tried not to arch herself up to him. "You're still holding back. And...is that a blush I see? There is no reason to feel bashful with me, Sarah. No one is judging you. I _want_ to make you feel good, and your body _wants_ to feel good." His hand had done a sneaky maneuver while he talked, inching upwards while groping, so that she was left unaware as his fingers dipped under her bra and began to lightly squeeze and pinch her nipple. She couldn't stop her sharp intake of breath, nor the jerk in her back after feeling_ that_. Her mouth hung open a little, as she fought her way through limbo. His head lowered, and began kissing the swell of her breast, slowly trailing down to replace his fingers as he licked at sucked at the rosy bud. Sarah's back arched further, and her mouth opened wider. "See? It's so easy..." he hummed against her.

As he worked her breast, his free hand began to roam down her side, groping her hip and the curve of her ass as it made its way to her groin. He ran a finger under the rim of her panties, lightly teasing. It wasn't until his hand moved lower that she flinched. He paused for a fraction of a second, observing the way her legs drew tighter together and the way her face twisted as she pressed it into the back of the couch. While her breathing was heavier and she'd arched her back for him, she was still using all her will power against him. He drew his brow on this; it obviously wasn't what he was doing that was the problem...maybe...hmm. He went on a limb when he said,

"You know, that blindfold means you can't see me. If it will help you relax, you can pretend it's Davion who's touching you."

Sarah whipped her head around so fast she nearly smacked him in the face.

'What?!" she shrieked, so loud and with such outrage, that Jareth was wondering if something had just crawled up and bit her on the ass. Her blindfold was still snug tight around her head, but he could tell she was shooting lasers at him. "What did you just say?!" she repeated. He reached up and pulled the scarf up from one of her eyes.

"I believe you heard me perfectly fine," he answered. Sarah's visible eye became so wide and her face turned so red one might think she was about to combust.

"Why would you say that?!" she shrieked again, though Jareth was now able to distinguish that it wasn't outrage in her voice, but embarrassment. He curled one side of his lips, only slightly.

"Because I thought it might make this easier for you," he explained. Sarah sat up a little further. Jareth took a mental snapshot just then, of the image that was her: sitting upright, tied up in nothing but her underthings, with the left strap of her bra pulled down ever-so-wantonly, wearing half a blindfold with a blooming blush on her cheeks and a glare that would have been enough to kill any mortal man. It was as amusing as it was arousing. He tried not to let his smile show through.

"You're honestly telling me you want me to think of your brother while you're- while you- molest me?!"

"I'm not molesting you."

"Fine, then. Whatever. You want me to think of your brother while you touch me sexually? You, of all people, are ok with that?" She couldn't believe it, simply couldn't believe someone as possessive as Jareth had just said that. What the Hell? Jareth merely gave her an eye as he regarded her.

"Well, first off, I would prefer it if you were thinking of me while being touched, by any individual. But, there isn't anything outrageous about role-playing. And the reality of it is, while you envision someone, say my darling little brother, it will be and will always be _I_ who is giving you pleasure. It will be _I_ who makes you moan and writhe, and when it is over and you open your eyes, it will be _me_ you see, and you will be left with the disillusionment that the entire time, it was _my_ touch that you craved, it was _my_ voice that made you shiver, and it was _my_ vision that you kept in the back of your mind, because, as I said before, there is no way in Hell that you could ever hope to ignore the things that_ I _will do to you. So I will say it again, if it will help you relax, I want you to close your eyes, and pretend it is Davion's hands that you feel."

Sarah gawked, openly, and blatantly. What?- How?- She couldn't even formulate speech in her own head let alone verbally. _Is he serious right now? What? Of course he is! WTF._ She felt so embarrassed, so ungodly embarrassed that Jareth would even propose she do something like that. It was one thing to have to deal with him, but now he'd gone and brought Davion into the picture. And to be honest, Sarah hadn't really given Davion a single thought since he'd left. Sure, he was cute and charming and sweet, but never once did she think of him sexually, which was the exact opposite in Jareth's case. God Dammit! What was she supposed to do now? How awkward is this that he had to bring up her little incident with Davion right now, of all times? She wanted to scream. She wanted to run away. She wanted him to shut up and just get this over with.

"Ok, I know I messed up the other day, but I don't want Davion that way, I told you before," she said.

"No? Your body seemed to tell otherwise."

"Yea, and my body also got all worked up after I ran, but I don't think that means I wanna get it on with the act of jogging," she snarled. Jareth cracked a smirk, clearly reveling in the fact that he had ruffled her feathers in such a compromising state.

"This is true," he said. Sarah caught the faint hint of a smile just then, and soon started to realize that he was laughing at her. That was when she realized what a fool she must look like, tied up and flustered. She was glaring at him with only one eye for Pete's sake! She glared harder and pursed her lips at him.

"Yea, so...I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring it up again."

"So, what you're saying is that you in fact don't want to fantasize about my brother?" he asked.

"No! And I don't want to fantasize about anyone else for that matter either." She didn't catch Jareth's grin that time, and she reacted far too late after he leaned in, placing his hands on the arm of the couch on either side of her, caging her in. Sarah's eyes flickered up the length of his arm, then back down again.

"Really? So only me then?" he asked, with a small flare of victory in his voice. She tensed in her spot, realizing she'd just made a huge mistake. _ Shit. Think before you speak!_

"Not even you," she said. Jareth leaned in further, and ran his nose along hers, all cute-like.

"Now, I know _that_ is a lie," he said, and with a new sense of confidence, tugged her blindfold back into place. He brought a finger under her chin, pushing her head up so he could have better access to suck on the tender flesh there, while his free hand moved to briefly grope her breast before sliding around her back and pulling her up to him. "You dream of me almost regularly. And after tonight, I imagine you'll be dreaming of me even more." And with that, she felt herself being pulled to lay in the center of the couch.

Even though she was blindfolded, Sarah's eyes screwed shut as tight as they would go in an effort to hide from the hypocrisy that was about to take place. She fisted her hands behind her back, their position forcing her to arch her back upwards, showcasing her body for him as he loomed over her.

His hands splayed around her ribcage and she felt him plant a hot kiss in the center of her abdomen as he began to slowly work his way down. She squirmed beneath him, her breathing both light and heavy at the same time. He ran his nose down the center of her stomach, savoring her scent as he went. His hands settled around her hips, his fingers curling around the rim of her underwear. He paused once reaching the lace covering her nethers, his breath further stimulating her already heated flesh. He could feel the tension growing within the fraction-inch of space between his mouth and her the further he prolonged contact. Seeming to have had enough, her pelvis pushed upwards towards him, reflexively. His lips curled as he just barely evaded collision. He was so close, her smell was so much stronger now. How in the world had he managed to hold himself back from her for so long? He gave a soft laugh, the low reverberant echo of which sent a tingle up her spine.

"Heheh...your body remembers me," he said, lecherously, his smile stretching and curling ever-so-sinisterly. His eyes became hooded, firmly secured in the victory of her imminent surrender. Surrender? Ha! She would never surrender. But she would succumb...

He kissed the center of her waist line as his hands began to tighten and gently tug the lace from her body. Her legs tensed, in a weak effort to stop him, but only succeeded in providing a minor distraction. He paused and reached up to wrap a hand around the back of her thigh. He leaned up and kissed her knee, his lips against her distracting her as his other hand pushed her remaining leg further away. He stroked her leg, and began kissing his way to the apex of her thigh. His touch was soft and tender, and succeeded in its effort to sooth. She relaxed, only slightly, but that was all he needed. Moving slowly, he resumed the sensual crawl of his hands in disrobing her. He'd wedged himself between her legs, leaving her incapable of blocking him out again. Though, he had to move back some to pull her panties down off her feet, allotting her the space needed to press her thighs together to hide herself. He pushed them open again.

The room was dreadfully quiet, awkwardness starting to fill the space. She didn't feel anything, which, paired with the dead silence, meant he was staring at her. She couldn't see him, but she had a clear mental image of his expression, of the way his eyes were scanning her, of how vulnerable she now was, prey to his gaze. She bit her lip and tried her best not to squirm; though she nearly jerked when a finger began to trail across her thigh.

"You have a tan line," he said, rather absently. His observation, being nonsexual, caught her attention in a positive way. His finger trailed a straight line over her thighs, and then moved to her lower waist. "Here..." he added, the lone tip of his finger on her skin nearly overriding her with sensation and anxiety. His hand left her stomach. "Here..." She nearly flinched again when his finger reappeared just under her breast, moving slowly and lazily across her ribs. "And...here," he murmured, concluding the venture of his finger with a low swoop starting from her shoulder, dipping down between her breasts, and then moving back up to the other shoulder. Sarah's heart fluttered in her throat.

He saw the way she nibbled her lip and the bright pink blush that flamed her skin, and drew his hand away. He moved back down, and nuzzled his nose into her stomach. His hands took their place around her hips, gently holding her in place as he kissed his way down to the mound between her legs. Her skin grew more sensitive the nearer he drew, and was nearly enflamed by the time he reached his destination. Her breath hitched in her throat.

"You are bashful. There is no need. You are beautiful. Every part of you. Especially like this," he said, and lowered his head to kiss her cleft. He could feel her start to quiver, but without another word opened his mouth and slipped his tongue between her folds.

Sarah's entire body tensed, frozen like a statue; though it wasn't from fear or repulsion or discomfort, as it was from the inability to properly react. His tongue, wet and warm, pressed against her, dipping between her folds and pressing against her clit. His movements were slow and exploring, and the dead silence of the room helped to make her only too aware. His tongue moved lower, and ran along the length of her opening, precariously sinking in a little further with each pass. She wasn't sure if it were Jareth's hands, or her own will, but she felt her rigid legs start to widen a little further.

With Sarah's subliminal signal, Jareth's hands moved from her hips to hold her at either junction of her thighs, using the heat, pressure and proximity of his hands near a spot so tender to stimulate her further. He held her legs open, but there was no need, she was doing it for him, all on her own. He angled his head and plunged his tongue deeper into her, tasting and feeling his way. She was dead quiet, but her body tentatively swayed with his motions, pushing further onto him, yearning for deeper, further penetration.

He watched her like a predator, visually devouring every little mannerism, every tremor and subtle flinch she gave him. She'd kept her face pressed firmly into the couch, but was now starting to angle her head back, slowly losing her anxiety as well as some of her inhibitions. He gripped her thighs tighter, and pushed his jaw a little deeper. One of her legs began to draw up, her calf skimming against his shoulder. The movement, the contact, was like a seal of victory for him. One real touch and she'd given in so quickly. Yes, her body did remember him. And while her pride might say otherwise, her body knew better than to fight him. Her back arched a little more, but she maintained the solid rhythm of her breathing. He wasn't satisfied with this, and altered the position of one of his hands to press a thumb against her clit.

Sarah's back jerked with the sudden sensation, and her mouth dropped open, unable to stop a reflexive gasp. Jareth smiled from his spot, the added victory giving him the closure to close his eyes as he plunged deeper and more fervently.

Sarah wasn't sure at what point the line had been crossed, but somewhere between now, and the argument they'd been having three minutes ago, Sarah's conscience had politely excused itself to make room for her newly awakened libido. Yes, technically she had consented to this, and yes, she had just declared to fight him anyway; but as soon as his lips touched her there...it was as if everything just went on autopilot. That contact, that heat, her body instantly remembered his touch, how tender and tantalizing it was. And this time...there was something different this time. She wasn't afraid like before. She was miffed about being tricked, but not afraid. That, and the blindfold and the quiet isolation of the room, it just made everything ...so much easier. He wasn't going to fuck her. He'd promised. That alone took most of the weight from her shoulders, but it was also the fact that he had actually _thought_ about the other night. He thought about how she felt, and tried to find a way to make it better. And while she would have preferred to avoid this situation all together, she appreciated that. Though it wasn't much, she appreciated that level of consideration, something she'd wanted from him all along. Maybe that's why it was so easy for her to simply close her eyes rather than clench them. Maybe that was why she was able to lean her head back and let him do whatever it was he planned to do. A part of her resented this about herself, in this moment, but she ignored it -for the time being at least.

Jareth's tongue soon replaced his thumb at making circles around her clit. He lowered one of his hands and ran the pad of his index finger along her opening, now glistening and swelling in anticipation. Slowly, almost stealthily, his finger entered her, pushing a little deeper with each undulation. He teased her at first, only giving her up to his first knuckle. As if acting on the whim of its master, Sarah's body opened up for him, eager and hungry to be filled. She could feel herself grow wetter and wetter, stimulated by the taunting of his finger. She rolled her hips -pride be damned, but she wanted more. His tongue swirled around her, lathering her until she could feel the fluid start to drip down. She flexed her arms against the restraints, still headstrong enough to keep herself from wilting completely.

He slid his finger in deeper, sheathing it up to the hilt, and curled it as if calling her towards him. Her pelvis gave a small buck, and her mouth opened wider, but still she did not moan. He could feel her insides sucking him deeper, and curled the pad of his finger against her front wall, moving in a constant fluid rhythm. He lowered his lips to lick up all the wonderful fluids dripping out of her. She tasted so sweet, sweeter than normal humans. Perhaps it was her fiery spirit that added this flavor, her constant energy that made her taste of, not just sugar, but spice. Or maybe it was the passion he had for her, he didn't know, but was too distracted to bother with pondering. Feeling a sudden hunger, his tongue plunged between her folds, joining his finger as he sought more and more of her nectar. He'd known it from the first moment he'd tasted her, the first moment he'd smelled her even, he knew that once he had her, he would never have enough. There was so much about the human body that differed from his own kind, there was a certain delectability about them, a rawness that so well complimented the evolutionary refinement of the Fae. Everything from their fluids to their smells, it was all so delicious. His kind had always had a certain hunger for them, but his craving for Sarah was in a league of its own; for it wasn't just the physical chemistry between species that fueled him, but her as an individual, her own body, her own spirit, the power that dwelled inside her. He craved that so much more; and this, her blood, her tears, her sweat and her cum, it was all just icing on the cake.

A second finger joined the first and his free hand left her thigh to press firmly down on the waist line of her stomach, the pressure meeting that of his fingers moving inside her, creating a more severe, acute pleasure. The sensation grew within her until it was almost unbearable. Her toes began to curl in rhythm with his movements while her body jerked and twisted, fighting to remove his hand from the spot it had so purposefully claimed. Jareth pressed harder, knowing the effect he had on her and denying her slightest wriggling. He curled and hooked his fingers, making each thrust more pointed and deliberate. His lips left her cleft and moved to suck on the artery pulsing wildly at the base of her thigh. He moved his fingers faster, harder, until the hand at her stomach could feel himself moving inside her. He bit down, sending a sharp, searing sensation that flared heat and pain and pressure and pleasure amidst everything else that already tormented and burgeoned between her thighs. It was too much, too fast, too much to restrain. Her breathing quickened, becoming light and feathered. And she could feel sweat brimming on her brow in an effort to hold herself down, in an effort _not_ to moan and twist and turn. At some point, she asked herself why, why was she holding back? The faster he made her cum, the sooner this would all be over. And that was when that sickly, dark and decrepit little part of her scraped its claws down the walls of her sanity, whispering, with sinister delight, that she didn't want this to be over soon, she wanted this moment to drag on and on, she wanted to savor the pain and the torment of restraint, finding a brilliant sense of exhilaration in both physical and mental asphyxiation. Her wrists began to sweat as she fought against her cuffs, her body brimming and tingling. Her face was hot, her throat was hot. The air in her lungs fumed. She could feel Jareth's teeth as they scraped against her skin, raising his head to watch her. She envisioned his eyes on her, their heat and ferocity, all the while too cowardly to actually face him. She envisioned his bare chest and his long lean arms as he kneeled between her. She felt all four of his fingers pressing down on her stomach, the feeling of his thrusting inside her was so intense it was close to pain. She arched her back until it strained, her heels digging into the couch. Suddenly, she felt his thumb rub against her cit again, moving in small, precisely applied circles. The pad of his thumb was already wet from her own fluids, and moved with ease around and down. She felt a jolt shoot through her, and then another, slower one. Her back bowed further, and her fists clenched until her knuckles turned white. Her mouth dropped open as she let out one, forceful, agonizing moan.

Jareth's gaze was focused on her face and nothing else. His eyes were wide and burned bright, drinking in the moment. His hands moved with mechanical precision, milking every last bit of Sarah's orgasm. He could feel her walls constricting around him, quivering. And he could smell her body's cry for ecstasy. He kept the rest of his body completely still, completely quiet, fearful that if he should break concentration now, he might lose his head and do something regretful.

Only when he felt her muscles start to relax did he move. He pulled his fingers from her, and leaned over, raising himself above her, nose to nose. Sarah was still floating, unaware of his movement, which left her caught off guard when she felt his fingers suddenly burrow into her gaping mouth. On instinct, her tongue glided around and between his fingers, and her lips suctioned around them. It wasn't until she realized what she was doing that she spat them out and shot her head away. He smiled and took hold of her jaw to turn her back to him. His lips were about a hair's width from hers.

"You have a beautiful little cunt, do you know that?" he asked, leaving Sarah completely bemused as to what he'd just said. _What? Did he just say cunt? How the hell does he even know that word?_ She tried thrashing her head out of his grasp.

"How come you get to swear?" she countered, scowling through her blindfold. Jareth's smile broadened, and he moved his body to wedge his knee into her groin. She jolted further up the couch from the sudden force.

"Because your dreams tell me you like it -the vulgar little thing that you are," he said, moving his knee in a slow circular motion against her cleft. Sarah's body couldn't help but move in a wave against him. Her back was arched, forcing her breasts to rub against his chest with each subtle undulation. She had nowhere to go when he lowered his head and sucked on her neck. He'd balanced himself on his hands, careful not to touch her. But now, he lowered to rest on his forearm, while the other hand clawed into the mane of her hair, jerking her head further away. The hand he rested on grasped her shoulder, his bare, heated skin doing wicked things to her nervous system.

But it wasn't just his bare hands frying her circuits, it was his bare torso, weighing down and pressing her into the cushions. She could feel his stomach on hers as he moved against her, slowly, rising and falling as he thrust his leg into her.

Suddenly, Sarah felt a heat start to burn deep in her chest in a way she hadn't felt before. Perhaps it was because this was the first time she'd felt the bare skin of his body, or perhaps it was because this was the first real time he'd ever laid out over her, moving against her like this. She couldn't see him, but she could feel his heat, the texture of his skin, the roughness and softness of it. She could smell his musk, something so masculine and enchanting it could be recognized only as him, and she could feel his hair as it fell over and engulfed her. His presence on top of her was dominating, and she was starting to grow hot in more ways than one. All of the sudden, for some inexplicable, or perhaps totally obvious reason, she really _really_ wanted to see him. She wanted her blindfold to shrug itself off of her of its own volition. She wanted to open her eyes and lock onto his, just to see what she would be met with. How was he staring at her right now? Would there be hunger? Calculation? Victory? Reverence?

The hand on her shoulder moved lower to cup her breast, hiking it up so it swelled high on her chest. His mouth lowered, biting and sucking at her skin. He tugged down on her bra, and slid his tongue beneath the cup, twirling it around her well hardened nipple. She arched her back for him, inadvertently thrusting herself down onto his knee. He bit down on her nipple and hollowed his cheeks as he sucked, the hand in her hair continuing to tug on her. She felt a sting in her scalp, but, for some reason, the small pain made everything else more invigorating.

"I could make you come for me just by doing this, couldn't I?" he asked, his breath fire against her flesh. She wasn't really listening to his words, but something about the husk of his voice did something very vile to her sense of self-preservation. She didn't respond, not really. She did however, unconsciously part her lips and moan softly on a quick intake of breath. That sound on her lips, gods that sound on her lips. He watched her face as her resolve came undone, himself growing more and more riled as a barrage of endorphins poured out around him. This stimulation, primal as it was, ignited a new sense of fervor in him; though he was careful not to let it go to his head, it would be so easy to succumb to it, to lose himself in it as he was meant to. But that night would come, it would come, and it would come soon. This was going so much better than last time. He smiled at the shape her lips had taken as she moaned. "I wonder what could happen if I do this-" he said, and removed his hand from her breast to hook around her sex.

His fingers were inside her in an instant, not one or two, but three. He surged deep, as deep as he could go, hard and roughly, and he used his knee to give him an extra boost of force. Sarah cried out, an honest cry. She could feel his fingers roaming and expanding inside her. He was stretching her out, purposefully. It hurt at first, mostly from the surprise, but after a moment, her body acclimated to the intrusion and opened for him. The hand in her hair tightened, and he pressed his weight onto her, moving his torso against her in deliberate thrusts, and making sure she was fully aware of it. She felt his ragged breath against her neck, at the spot behind her ear, and shuddered from the heat.

"Can you feel me inside you? Feel my body covering yours, pressing you down? Can you feel the sweat glistening your body? Can you feel that sheen as it rubs off of you and sticks to me?" he whispered, breathing raggedly against her hairline, his lips brushing against her skin with each word. "Feel me pressing against you, thrusting into you. Can you really say this is not what you want?" he asked, making it apparent that he was using his hand to simulate another, more forceful part of his body.

Sarah didn't speak. She could barely breathe. What was even happening to her? What was she letting him do to her? Letting him pleasure her was one thing, but she was really starting to loose her head here. She knew what he was doing, he was trying to get her worked up enough to agree to having sex. Ha! As if she would fall for that. She tried to stay focused as he talked dirty, though her success in this was debatable.

"Just imagine me inside you, stretching you, your body full and pulled to its limits. Imagine your hands clawing around me, the heat that sweeps over you, that engulfs you. Imagine me holding you and never letting go."

-That last bit. Right on the end there. That last sentence. The rest of his words might as well have just floated right on by, but that, the imagery he chose to end on, now latched on with one curled claw. She opened her eyes and turned her head, but of course she couldn't see him. She felt even hotter now, his long blonde hair seeming to constrict her as it draped across her neck. She felt his hand pumping into her, and for a split second, allowed her brain to flash her a vision of everything he'd just said. She felt his stomach lower down to hers as he thrust his body, noting that it was now slick from the perspiration of her own. Her chest rose, her breasts, lungs and heart overheated by the constriction of her bra. She opened her mouth and moaned, the sound breaking the chains, one by one, that held it prisoner within her windpipe.

Jareth kissed her throat, running his tongue along the pulsing artery, and nipped at her jaw as he neared her mouth. He held himself above her, each living off the heat of the other's breath. His eyes flickered over her face, though mostly covered by the cloth he was still completely captivated. The brightness in his eyes condensed as a hood lowered over them, and the corners of his mouth curled ever-so-slightly, her expression making him feel daring.

"Kiss me," he whispered, commanded, demanded, pleaded, whatever it was, it was sexy as hell. He saw her tongue dart out to graze along her lower lip, her chest expanding up against his. He didn't wait for her to say no, and he didn't wait to say yes. He lowered his head and took her mouth with possessive compulsion. His hand hooked deeper, pressing against the barrier that threatened destruction just from the force of his fingers alone. She gasped into his mouth, her entire body tensing against her better wishes.

He kissed her with ardent tenderness as she came, her hot, thick juices slathering his fingers still pumping inside her. She wasn't kissing him back as he'd hoped, but she wasn't pulling away from him either. He slowed his movements as she relaxed, and pulled away to smile at her blind, flushed face. She winced when he pulled his hand out of her, and could do nothing but wait as he laid on top of her, regarding her as he licked the juices from his fingers.

"You know that virginity you cling so feverishly too?" he asked. She scowled. "All that is, is a membrane of skin stopping me from making you feel even better than you did just now. I could have broken it just now, I could have pushed through it so easily, and I doubt you would have noticed. And you would no longer be an innocent maiden. Just like that."

"Losing your virginity is about more than just tearing through a piece of skin," she retorted. Jareth huffed at her, giving her a wry half-smile.

"You can't tell me you weren't thinking of having me inside you when your body tightened and squeezed and sucked my hand deeper -all that cum that's still pouring out of you, it's delicious. You're a greedy little thing, aren't you?"

"I asked you not to talk, didn't I?" she snapped.

"No, you didn't. You ordered, and you know how I feel about that..." he said, and reached behind her. For a moment, she thought he was going to un-cuff her. He unhooked her bra instead. "That feels better, doesn't it?" he asked. She refused to answer. "Oh, don't look at me like that. You should be smiling, we're almost halfway done," he said, and before she knew it, he'd picked her up and flipped her on her stomach.

Sarah gruffed and snarled as her face pushed into the corner of the couch. She had no arms, so she was forced to lay her weight solely on her face. She tried sitting up, but hadn't thought of the implications of such an action. She drew her knees up, inadvertently raising her ass up in the air as she struggled. She felt his hand secure itself to the base of her back, holding her in place. She pulled against her cuffs.

She felt him move over her, wrapping his hand around to splay over her stomach, his hair tickling her shoulders and his breath against her ear.

"This is a good position for you," he said, earning him a swift jab from her elbow. She grunted, and tried pushing him off of her. "Ah, so now you fight?" he teased, and reached back to take hold of her wrists and push her down into the cushions roughly.

"Ugh -Jareth!"

"Mmm, say my name again." He spoke with a rumble of laughter, only making her more frustrated.

"Ugh, get off of me," she growled. He used his free hand to stroke up and down her thigh.

"So you decide to fight me when I'm _not_ touching you? You are greedy, aren't you? Well then...I think I know what to do," he said, and bit the back of her shoulder. He kept her back angled down, pushing her face hard into the couch, emphasizing his dominance over her, while leaving her ass held high and on display. She could feel his pelvis press against the backs of her thighs as he leaned over her. She tried to ignore it.

He lowered his hand again to reach between her thighs, his fingers making short work of her already over-worked skin. She felt swollen from being stretched, and heated from all the blood that was still rushing to her core. Jareth's expertise aside, was she even up for another orgasm?

His fingers pressed down on her clit, while his free hand swept across her back to leave her shoulders bare. He nipped a line down her spine and reached around to fondle one of her breasts. While his fingers pressed against her, his thumb began to slowly dip in and out of her, teasing her with weak penetration just as before. She was already wet, still dripping with remnants of her previous orgasms, but his minor touch started her up anew.

He pushed his thumb deeper into her, creating a new sensation that felt strange to her, but immediately struck a nerve that sent a jolt of something licentious straight through her stomach. She started squirming, whatever his thumb was pressing against was too intense, borderline uncomfortable. It was like something was blossoming inside her, and she was admittedly a little afraid to find out what would happen if it bloomed. Jareth's sharp teeth latched down on her shoulder blade, licking and sucking at her newly cleaned skin. He could taste the faint mist of sweat that had glazed her body. He wanted more.

"I really wish you hadn't bathed...your skin tasted so good," he murmured, with a tone that made it seem like _he_ was the one broiling with ecstasy. "But I can feel it heating up again...you'll get there soon enough." He nuzzled her back, pinching her nipple and working her with slow precision, gradually building her up, purposefully waiting for her to calm down and give in again before taking his hand away from her.

He brought his hand to grasp the round of her hip and ass, holding on and kneading her skin as he rocked against her. Sarah wasn't sure what he was doing, or what he was trying to do, but something peculiar started to happen. She felt her core begin to pulse with the loss of his touch, as if her body were outraged by its absence. It grew, stronger and stronger, until it was almost painful. She felt hot and swollen and dare she admit needy. He was so close to her, one hand at her hip, the other at her breast, his lips searing love bites between her shoulder blades. He was so close, yet he wasn't close enough. Her body pleaded for him. Why was this happening? She felt her blindfold start to inch itself up her face from all her rocking, and hastily brushed her face against the couch to put it back in place. ...Wait...

"Heheh...I knew that would help. You like it, don't you? You get to imagine that it isn't me, and still enjoy that it _is _me." He turned his thumb, and pressed harder against her. She made a sound just then, caught somewhere between a gasp and a moan. He smiled against her skin. "I bet you think that if you don't answer me, you don't have to take any credit in what's happening." He started to move lower as he spoke, adjusting his hands to replace his thumb with his middle and index finger. He moved in slow, deep thrusts as he kissed her, pausing to suck on one of her fingers before she had the chance to clench them into fists once more.

His free hand held her hip as he kissed the round of her rear. She tensed, having him so close, but couldn't really do much about it. She felt his fingers curl and tense into her flesh as he kissed his way down, an action that caught her attention. His fingers continued to move in a steady rhythm, trying to keep her preoccupied, but the way his kisses slowed as he moved lower put her on edge. She started to squirm.

His lips met the base of her thigh, and turned to travel sideways, his tongue darting out to graze along her stretched skin as his fingers moved. Sarah flinched away, her skin surprisingly more sensitive than before. He ran his tongue beneath her folds, savoring everything his fingers pumped out of her. His hand tightened again, and he rose his head a little to press his tongue against the sensitive skin of her perineum. She didn't know how she felt about that. Though, she wasn't really too worried about it however, until he moved up even further that is.

Sarah's body shot forward so fast it was like she'd been poked with a cattle-prod. She lunged, nearly toppling over the arm of the couch, and frantically scurried to get away, not bothering to question why Jareth was letting her.

"WOAH! What the fuck are you doing?!" she screamed, shocked, bewildered and mortified. She'd turned her head back to give him a ghastly stare, but of course it was useless. She yelped again when his hands went straight for her hips, jerking her back down with one quick tug before he rose his hand and slapped her square on the ass. She shrieked and tried to jump away again, but he held her down this time.

"Watch your language!" he commanded, his voice losing any trace of the sweet seduction it once had. Sarah's heart beat so furiously she could feel it in her ears.

"Did you just hit me? What the -"

"Swear again and I'll spank you so hard you won't be able to sit for a week," he threatened, keeping his voice hard and intimidating, but not quite vicious. Sarah shut her mouth and glared.

"Spank me? You really just spanked me? That's -that's-"

"What you do to spoiled little girls who need a good lesson in manners? Yes." His voice was stern, yet there was a hint of amusement beneath it. She sensed his sarcasm and huffed.

"What? Pff-Fine. No more F-bombs. But don't you dare do that again," she ordered, feeling a strong need to blow this situation way out of proportion, but for some reason let it be. She flinched when she felt his hand move to gently massage the smarting cheek of her rear.

"You know how I feel about orders..." he rumbled, a hint of salaciousness coming back to his voice.

"DON'T DO IT AGAIN."

"Manage your own muzzle and there will be no need-"

"No. I mean don't touch me _there_, again," she clarified. Jareth cocked his head a little, and paused before responding.

"Touch you where?" he goaded, running his hand conspicuously down her rear.

"You know what I'm talking about." Her voice was loud and demanding, becoming irritated with the sarcastic amusement she could hear in his voice. She was so _not_ fucking around right now.

"Do I? I think you need to spell it out for me," he said, and leaned forward to plant a lone kiss on the un-abused half of her ass. A violent shiver stood her every hair on end.

"It's bad enough I'm letting you do this to me. Stay away from my ass, that's gross," she said, keeping perfectly still with the hope that he would see how serious she was being just from the tone of her voice.

"Letting me? Sweet Sarah, your body is screaming for me." His hand massaged lower, carefully avoiding the spot in question to instead lightly fondle the opening of her sex. She was caught unawares by the moan that then broke free of her lungs so readily. Wasn't she angry and upset? Shouldn't that have killed the mood? How was he able... It amazed her that he knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

"Stay...away...Jareth..." she stammered, her body starting to relax against her will.

"Why? And what do you mean, _gross_? It's a perfectly natural point of stimulation," he asked, leaning down to kiss her again.

"I'm not comfortable with you touching me there. I'm not even comfortable with you touching me at all."

"Yet here we are..."

"Don't even. You said this is necessary. This is part of the rules. I lost. That's it."

"Mhmm," he murmured, dismissively, and splayed his free hand around her hip. His kisses moved lower...

"Jareth, I mean it -don't."

"You know you'll like it."

"No. I'm not in to that." He kissed the apex of her thigh, dangerously close to forbidden territory.

"How would you know...if you've never tried it..." His voice was slow and drawn out, barely over a whisper. He slid a finger inside her.

"Jareth-"

"There are so many things I'm going to do to you. This is nothing. I warned you before, you can't possibly imagine what it will be like to be ravaged by _me_." His head slowly rose as he spoke, and he darted his tongue out at the tail end of his sentence, lightly flicking against Sarah's most firmly restrained no-zone. Her body jerked, and her muscles flexed, deeply agitated by the intrusion and complete obliteration of her comfort zone. He smiled at her anxiety and reared up over her, his finger moving in and out of her never missing a beat, setting a base-line. He pressed his body against her, forcing her to flatten out some. She felt the coolness of his chest press against her heated back, and it was such a pleasant feeling that it sent waves of anxious tingles all over her skin. She could feel the dusting of hairs on his chest. For some reason, that one observation made her heart jump on a sharp intake of breath. "You're still bashful. I told you, there is no need for that. Not with me." His hair tangled with hers, his breath caught behind her ear, his voice lowered dangerously. His free hand took hold of the nape of her neck, keeping her still so he could whisper in her ear, "I will worship your body. _Every_ part of it."

And with that, she felt his hand adjust itself, and winced when a well lubricated finger brushed itself against her puckered opening. He moved his finger against her, gently, only applying the most minute pressure, allowing her to test the water, _or prepare herself for the worst_. She grimaced into the cushion. If she wasn't in to it, how did he expect her to get off from it?

"Relax..." he murmured, the hand in her hair moving to pet her like a wounded animal. Her breathing picked up dramatically. "Sarah...if you tell yourself this will be galling, than it will be. But if you relax, if you just use your restraints to your advantage, you have no idea how good it can feel. You have no reason not to trust me. I will take care of you." He spoke tenderly to her, not knowing if it would have any affect. She almost laughed at him. What a ludicrous thing for him to say to her and mean to have her take it seriously. He waited, letting his words have a purposefully delayed affect.

It seemed there was a tension in the air ...but strangely, the deeper his words bore, a part of Sarah's curiosity started to take her to places she had never been, places she was afraid to go. He knew how to manipulate her this way, and he also knew that when she discovered how wonderful those places could be, she would remember he was the one who showed her. She would come back to him, she would fall easier and faster. She would surrender. All she needed was a little push. He pet the back of her head and kissed the spot behind her ear. "Relax..."

He pressed his finger a little harder as he whispered into her hair. He was careful, tentative not to provoke her. Her body was still rigid, but was slowly starting to sink down into the cushions. His weight held her there, simulating a feeling of closure -or detainment (he opted for the former). He moved around her in gentle circles, pressing into her, but careful not to breech her until _she_ opened up for him. It didn't happen. Thankfully, it didn't need to.

Sarah's shoulders started to relax, lowering from their hunched up position. The strain on her eyes lessened, though her attentions remained heightened. She was _so_ uncomfortable with what was happening and ashamed that she was consciously idling by while he did this to her; but it was clear he had no intention of heading her pleas, so she tried instead, not to focus on what he was doing in _that _hole, but what he was doing to her in the other, more familiar one. _Fingers in the vagina. Alright. Focus. Focus._ Her thoughts murmured this mantra over and over, no matter how un-sexy it might be. All the while, she prayed whatever he intended to do wouldn't hurt.

"Jareth-" she pleaded, the thought of pain making her feel adverse all over again. He _shh'd_ her with soothing whispers.

"One step at a time," he said, pressing into her a little harder, but making it apparent that he recognized her apprehension. "Don't think...feel."

The more she relaxed, the easier it was for Jareth's fingers in her cleft and the one at her rear to find a rhythm. And before long, the familiar dead silence once again filled the room. Everything felt so still, everything but the steady undulations down below and the shallow panting of her breathing. For a split second, she'd never been happier to be blindfolded and smooshed face-down into the corner of a couch. She was hiding. Well, her pride was hiding.

She felt Jareth's hands on her and knew he was waiting for her to settle before he did anything further. Even though she'd told him no, she could only be somewhat grateful he was taking his time with her. What she didn't know, was that the _only_ reason he was so adamant in pushing this on her, was because he knew that her apprehension stemmed from fear of the unknown and embarrassment, and _not _because she truly disliked the physical action. He wasn't trying to upset her, but a part of experiencing sexuality was exploring it, and with one as naive as Sarah, some discomfort was a given. He however, knew exactly where and how to lead her. He knew that deep down she had the cravings of a vixen, and if he needed to push her a little harder than she wanted in order to awaken that, then so be it.

Sarah hummed in the back of her throat, and tried to think how things ended up in their current state. This encounter, it was so alike, and so different, from the previous. His actions were similar, her response was similar, but it no longer felt like the fate of the world rested on whether or not she admitted she actually liked what was happening, the truth of which being rather irrelevant. She felt a twinge in her stomach, a tight churning of sorts. She knew this feeling, she was starting to know it well. She also knew that something about it was different this time. It was more pronounced, and growing faster and faster. That's when she realized she wasn't panting from just the fingers he had inside her.

She gave low muffled moans as he fondled her, the feeling of his finger pressing against the pucker of her rear making her body hungry for something more. Her hips started to move with him of their own accord, pushing to meet him, wanting something deeper. She hadn't expected this, not at all. All he was doing was rubbing against her and it felt...so good. God, if her shame could see her now. She smothered her face into the cushion and squeezed her thighs together. She could feel herself sweating between her legs, but she didn't care, nor did she care how smug his reaction might be when she started pushing her rear up against him, into his hand. His jaw had settled on her shoulder, as if he were simply resting there. His eyes closed and his breathing turned dead-quiet as he continued to stroke her hair. He waited, keeping his movements constant and letting her do the rest all on her own.

Sarah's hips bucked against him a little harder, and her moans became more audible. She hummed into the couch, twisting and turning about as best she could beneath him. Once cool, his body was now so warm against hers. She was overheating fast. She could feel her wrists become slippery in their cuffs and her hair as it matted to her neck.

The churning inside her blossomed, burgeoning deep within her belly. It was starting to take over, the feeling, the freedom in her darkness, just like before. Just like before. She couldn't see him. She didn't have to face him. All she knew was pleasure, and that was all she wanted. She felt a heat flare from her groin. Her body relaxed as it tensed, a strange combination of movement as she writhed. He felt her muscles yield, and pushed.

Sarah cried out. She cried a loud, high pitch moan as Jareth's finger seized its opening, literally. He hadn't gone far, only up to the first knuckle, but her body was so relaxed in that moment he knew he could have plunged. Her body tightened like vice once registering his presence however, and she jerked away. He held her still, and moved his hand around inside her, both orifices claimed. Her breathing turned frantic and heavy, laced with squeals and high pitch whimpers, but he didn't stop, he couldn't. To pull out of her now would only cause pain. Instead, he tried to sooth her, help her relax and accept him. His fingers at her core continued to move in and out, while the one at her back simply flexed.

Sarah's panting continued to grow more and more feverish, spurred by pain and panic and pleasure and embarrassment. She tried to ignore the fact that he had one of his fingers in her, _there_, but she couldn't. She could however, feel the overpowering sensation of combined penetration. He was barely moving inside her and her body was sent straight to the edge. Her anxiety, her embarrassment, only seemed to heighten this. She clenched her eyes tight and dropped her mouth open, realizing it _would_ hurt if she didn't relax her body. She felt his hand brush away the damp hair from her neck, and replaced it with the softest, most tender peck of his lips, and that was it. She was done for.

She took in a sharp breath and moaned, clearly and begrudgingly. Every muscle in her body tensed, constricting and pulling him in deeper. She felt him exhale against her neck, seemingly overwhelmed by how tight and hot she'd become. Her body urged forward, away from the sensation. It was too much, too powerful. She wanted escape, she wanted it to stop. Her moan seemed to turn into a cry as her orgasm hit her, a feeling more shocking and profound than she could have ever hoped to imagine. Her muscles started to hurt, her body wanting him out just as much as it wanted him in. She didn't know what to do, the moment seemed to drag on forever.

When it was over, there were tears and beads of sweat streaming down her face. Her heart pounded as if she'd just ran a marathon, and her body tingled and twitched with aftershocks. She started shaking her head, the blindfold too hot and damp, it made her feel like she couldn't breathe. She was able to scoot it up to her eyebrows, freeing her flighty gaze to flicker and panic as her eyes adjusted to the light. All she could see was the deep green of the couch, riddled with all its gold embroidery, but upholstery was the last thing on her mind.

Jareth waited until the last tremor shot through her, allowing her body to relax itself before removing his hand from her. She didn't seem to notice, too dazed by the power of her climax to worry about it. The level of satisfaction he felt in that moment was unrivaled by any, so much so that he didn't even feel the need to brag. He lifted off of her slightly, giving her some space to catch her breath. After a moment, she turned, her wide, ferocious green eyes boring into him, their first contact since they'd started. And oh how he wanted, so badly, to clutch the sides of her face and kiss her just then. But he refrained. If this was going to work, he needed to play it strategically. He raised himself to lean on his hands, placed on either side of her.

He waited for her to speak, to scream or cry, or even laugh for that matter; but she didn't. She just stared. He held her gaze as long as he could stand it, then reluctantly lowered his to her nose.

"Three down. Well done." Sarah's eyes were about to widen in horror at the prospect of having to do that two more times, when he continued. "I told you I would go easy on you tonight. We can stop now, if you'd like," he said, knowing that in the state she was in, it wouldn't take much before he could have his wicked way with her. But leaving her hanging like this would catch her off guard and leave her wanting. Well, he hoped it would anyway. She opened her mouth as if to babble, but no words came. His lips curled in a pleasant smirk. "Or not. I will keep going, if you'd like. I'll go as long as you want me to." His compromising, lighthearted tone succeeded in leaving her dumbfounded. She had one hundred percent anticipated some snarky remark about her giving in, about submission or about him winning and all the dirty things he had/was going to do to her, and she was equally anticipating the angry scream-match that would be soon to follow. But this didn't happen. No, instead, he was just staring down at her, with a seemingly sincere, haunting little smile. His eyes were bright, no longer hooded, and the room was still quiet, so deathly quiet. It was just him and her, like he'd said. She was starting to get that now. _Just the two of them... _She darted her eyes away, too physically and emotionally overwhelmed to handle looking at him the way he was.

"I-I think I've had enough for one night," she said, breathy and uncertain. She didn't catch the twitch of a smirk that flashed his features just then.

"If you say so," he said, and leaned up off of her.

* * *

The moment he was off of her, Sarah scrambled into a ball and huddled into the corner of the couch. She was on edge and beyond wary, her eyes scanning his mannerisms viciously. It was amidst this scrambling that she realized her hands had come unbound. She didn't waste time scurrying to grab up all her clothing. Luckily, or rather thankfully, they were all within arms' reach. She drew up her underwear, not the least bit concerned they were soaking wet, and quickly hooked her bra back in place. She found her shorts and t-shirt in a pile next to her on the floor, and hurriedly shucked them on, anxiously staring him down the entire time.

She watched him as he leaned back and settled into his side of the couch. His attention left her, his head turned to stare vacantly at nothing. Unlike her, he hadn't gone on a frantic search for his shirt, apparently content to lounge about as he was. Her eyes darted, catching on the heap of white linen and debated whether or not she should get it for him, just to alleviate her own stress.

She curled her knees up to her chest once she was well-secured within the safety of her apparel. It was quiet, the distilled silence of the room about to implode under the weight of her anxiety. She stared at him, her eyes having never been bigger, not knowing what the hell was going to happen nor what she should do about it. Last time, ...last time, he'd just up and vanished, leaving her to her own devices to deal with the aftermath. But...he hadn't left this time, and from the look of it, he wasn't planning on it any time soon. She didn't know what to do. The way he'd dismissed himself from her just now was much too sudden, and his seeming lassitude of disinterest worried her. She watched him like a ticking time bomb.

Awkwardness quickly began to devour the air between them, though she was wondering if she was the only one feeling it. He'd sprawled back in his seat, resting one forearm on the arm of the couch, his legs outstretched and spread wide. Her eyes flickered over him, as if mentally imprinting him for future reference. His hair covered most of his face, but his face wasn't what she was so focused on. She gulped and tore her eyes away.

Sarah felt like she was standing alone in the middle of one of Jareth's white rooms. What was she supposed to do? Just play it off like everything that had happened was no big deal? Apparently, that was the angle he was going for. While she thought that would be best, it was simply impossible. What'd he'd done...the dirty thing he'd done to her -she wasn't mentally prepared to deal with that. And he was leaving her out to dry. Why wasn't he talking? Picking on her? Holding his victory over her head like the arrogant bastard that he was? She ran a hand around one of her wrists, soothing the red markings her magic cuffs had left. It was over now, but she was still panting heavily, her senses still heightened to the extreme, still waiting for Jareth to turn back and tell her this was nothing but a brief intermission. But he didn't. He didn't do anything. He just stared out at the fire.

Sarah thought she must have been sitting there, twitching and gawking like an idiot, for about an hour now; but after gathering the courage to turn her head away from him, saw that it'd only been a minute or two. She took a deep breath, trying to clear out all the frazzle and awkwardness. If he was going to pretend nothing happened, then she would too. She looked over and reached for her book.

She flipped to the page she'd left off on, but was tapping her fingers against it too rapidly to put any effort into actually reading it. She kept glancing at him, out of the corner of her eye. He was being so quiet. All night he'd been quiet...until he'd pulled the cover off that little trick of his at least -then she couldn't get him to shut up. She watched him, and was made strangely aware of all the subtle nuances about his body.

She never thought she would be so attracted to a man like Jareth. He wasn't muscular, he wasn't tan. He wasn't the boy next door. He was very lean, long arms and legs, perfect pale skin. He had such a high level of androgyny that she knew most of the other girls she back home would find him nothing but...odd. And yet...as she examined him, she realized, that _that_ was the aspect that made him so erotic. He had an alien quality that was so different from human men, and surprisingly, it had nothing to do with his otherworldly hair and apparel. But no matter how androgynous he may be, there was never any question in her mind whether or not he was one-hundred percent male. And to be able to convey that, to be able to exude such an unparalleled level of dominance and overtly male, heterosexual, sexuality while wielding such, arguably, feminine traits could stand to tell just how powerful of a force he was. Normally, she would be looking at the cut of a man's shoulder, or the dip and climb of their abs. But not with Jareth. No, when she stared at him, it was the most modest of subtleties that made her heart quicken: it wasn't the protrusion of muscle, but the slender line, the contour curve of his waist as he slouched back in his seat, the shadowed hallow cast by the clavicles framing his neck, the way his wrists bent as he lounged. They were such meager observations, yet, she found there to be such a high level or eroticism in them. Why was that? Why did the mere sight of those things have her stomach twisting up in knots? There was a darkness of negative space behind where his hair draped over his shoulder. And that angle, that slender curve of his neck. She wanted to kiss it. She saw his chest expand on a breath, and was exceedingly thankful for the distraction.

"Are you sure you want to stop?" he asked, and quirked her a brow. Apparently, she wasn't completely drained of endorphins yet. She blushed and looked away, realizing she hadn't bothered thinking of that stupid door while she, quite obviously, checked him out. ...and still he didn't comment? Where was the sass? All the salacious devilry? His indifference was starting to sober the atmosphere, though she was surprised to find herself conflicted by that. She was silent as she composed herself.

"What was all that red stuff on your shirt?" she asked, trying to change the subject and move on with the night. She'd go crazy otherwise. He shrugged, and closed his eyes in a slow blink.

"Blood," he answered. Sarah's brow drew, and she lowered her book to her lap.

"What? Why is there blood splattered all over your shirt?"

"It's not mine," he said, as if that mattered. She scowled a little further.

"I don't care. What happened?" she asked, wondering if this was perhaps whatever Roldan had been so concerned over. Jareth sagged back further, rolling his head back to look up at the ceiling, though his eyes were closed. She used this opportunity to steal a free glance. She cocked her head slightly. ...For getting so worked up and doing so many things...there wasn't a trace of arousal about him. His pants were tight enough...him, she was really starting to wonder about him. She couldn't believe that it could simply his level of self-restraint that kept him so well composed. For talking about her the way he did, it stood to say she wasn't the only one getting worked up and yet...She was so distracted with staring at his crotch, she almost missed what he said.

"I wanted to make something bleed..." His tongue lingered on the last word, curling around it as if caught in a stupor. Her scowl turned to a glare.

"Why? You _wanted_ to? What-"

"It's none of your concern," he interrupted, rolling his head to look at her. When their eyes met, she found herself unable to speak. "I was presented with a certain inconvenience, and it was dealt with accordingly." This change in topic helped her settle in her seat.

"So was that what Roldan was so worried about? That you were off hurting someone?" she asked. Jareth's gaze flashed to her then, suddenly sharper.

"Roldan was worried?" he countered. Sarah glared.

"Apparently, someone cares for your well being. He'd thought I'd done something...I didn't do anything, did I?" she heard herself ask, timidly. She wasn't planning on bringing this up, it just kind of happened, but if Jareth really was out inflicting pain she wouldn't be able to stand the guilt if it was because of her. Jareth shook his head, but her eyes caught on his hand as it gripped the arm of the couch.

"No."

She looked away, feeling not just awkward now, but defeated too. She wanted to yell at him about whatever it was he'd done to God knows who, but truth be told, she was afraid of what she would find out. She looked down at her book, feeling the urge to whip it across the room. She politely closed it and set it aside instead. She tried to ignore him after that, but it was impossible not to feel his presence when he was near. She wondered if it were the same way for him...probably not.

"You're not leaving?" she asked, as if the answer to that weren't apparent enough already.

"Do you want me to leave?" he countered. She shifted in her seat.

"Uhh-it -it's just that you left last time..." she wasn't really sure what she was saying, or what she wanted to hear from him, and was already highly regretting asking him in the first place. She continued to watch him, growing somewhat anxious with the way he kept his gaze out in front of him.

"Last time, you wanted me to leave," he said. Sarah had to physically hide her reaction to his words by shifting her feet around and looking away. "It was a part of your rules." he added. She shot him an eye, watching as he readjusted himself in his spot. Hm, it seemed they were both feeling a little uncomfortable with this topic. "Our agreement, was that I would leave you alone once we were finished. And I did." He paused just then, and slowly rose his eyes to hers, as if passing along some kind of secret understanding. She tried not to get antsy.

"You left before the five minutes were up," she pointed out, not knowing what else to say.

"I went easy on you that night as well," he said, and paused to hold her gaze before picking back up again. "The only reason I left you was because it was what you wanted of me. We made no such stipulation this time around, and so I choose to share your company until I see fit." He'd meant his words somewhat scoldingly, keeping a sharp sting to his tone, but that wasn't the effect that was had on Sarah. She held his gaze, taking note of all the silent admonishment in his stare. It was obvious he was still clueless about what her problem was that night, and was directing his aggravation on the matter back onto her, but she didn't care. He'd said that the only reason he left was because it was what she wanted...but... the truth was the complete opposite. He really had no idea? Really? ...Thank god.

A large weight lifted from her shoulders with that one simple sentence. She thought he left her there to humiliate her, but...he said he did it because he thought that was what she wanted of him. In a way, he did it for her. A new perspective was starting to dawn on her, carried by the echo of an edict once pleaded at her feet. _Everything I have done, I have done for you._ ...And she was always so quick to cast him the villain...

She started to scowl as she thought of this. No, she was still overrun from their not so little indiscretion. Her emotions were getting the better of her. No matter what it was, it always seemed to turn itself around on her; even when _he_ was the one that caused her pain, _she_ was the one to end up feeling guilty about it. No. That was just more backwards bullshit and deviant manipulation. If there was one thing she knew for sure by now, it was that Jareth knew how to get what he wanted out of people. He knew how to manipulate and influence and trick. It was in his nature, after all. She started to feel mighty foolish then, foolish for feeling guilty towards him and foolish for being upset in the first place. She huffed through her nose, now slightly irritated. She needed a distraction, or an outlet. Her miffed little eyes roamed off to the side, and caught on a reflection of the fire bouncing off the crystal he'd given her. She pursed her lips and reached for it, turning back to him with an accusatory stare.

"So...I guess this a dud then?" she asked. He quirked his brow and turned an eye towards her, his sluggishness only made her more persistent. "This crystal, it was just a gimmick to fool me into letting my guard down, wasn't it?" Jareth's bored gaze became more mindful then.

"Actually, I was completely sincere in my attempt to make amends. The fact that it worked as a ploy was merely a favorable consequence. It will do everything I said it will. You've been well behaved the past few days; I thought it might be something you would like," he explained. Sarah narrowed her eyes and glanced down to the ball in her hand, as if examining the crystal for flaws.

"But -I thought you changed it so they didn't remember me, like I asked. Even if I share their dreams, they won't recognize me."

"They will know you in their dreams, and forget once they wake."

"Hmm..." she murmured, distracted. She stared at the crystal, pondering all that it meant. It stood as a gift from Jareth, a token of supposed apology and good faith -the first of many no doubt- and not a very good one at that. The sentiment was fine, but the actual gift didn't seem like a very good calculation on his part. Wasn't he always trying to urge her to shut up about her past and move on? And yet he'd given her a direct connection to it. If she was going to move on, it would be best not to have these little strings holding her back; not to say she wasn't thrilled with it, she shouldn't have to give up her old life cold-turkey, but still, from Jareth's perspective it didn't make sense. Maybe this showed just how..._equivocal_ he was about the entire situation. He said he'd been thinking about it...and he did look genuinely uncomfortable while presenting it to her... She was pretty sure he wasn't used to apologizing, to making amends or concessions. Was that the right word for it then? A concession? Could he really have done something out of character in order to compromise and make her happy? WOW! But even still, that didn't change the pretense that it was given under.

She'd felt so happy when he'd given it to her, and then so disgusted when it had all been a front. Even if it really did work, there was no doubt in her mind that the entire night, every word, every little gesture on his part had been premeditated. Dinner, snacks by the fire, all of it, all of his good nature and non-threatening demeanor. The whole time he was calculating a way in which he could crawl under her skin. And he did. He got his way, like always. But tonight, she wasn't that upset over it. No matter how irritated she thought she should be, all she could do was compare it to the other night. That night had ended so poorly, and this...well this was going rather well. So well in fact, that that naughty little part of her conscience was proposing she start taking advantage of it; why let him take advantage of her body when she could take advantage of his? Free orgasms every night with no obligation to reciprocate? Now that idea didn't sound too shabby...

Feeling herself about to trek down a path she knew better than to follow, she set the orb on the table and stood, eager to head for the bathroom and take care of things. She felt all sticky with sweat, and her hair was matted, not to mention the more than uncomfortable amount of fluids slowly oozing out of her and smearing down her legs. She stood, but got no more than a step or two before being firmly halted in her tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She heard Jareth's voice boom from over her shoulder. It wasn't much louder than a normal speaking voice, but something about his tone worried her. There was a ...fickleness to it. She glanced back and saw his head had turned fully towards her and his gaze was deadlocked onto her face. In that split-second of recognition, she drew her brow on him. While seemingly lax, she could tell there was a tension moving through his body, and his eyes, once adrift and indifferent, were totally focused and beamed bright with energy. She began to grow worried with his sudden reaction. What was his problem? She pursed her lips and gave him a weird little shrug.

"To the bathroom?" she asked, skeptically. Jareth's demeanor only hardened, as if challenging her to a stand off. His eyes nearly burned her.

"If you're going to cry, you can do it in front of me," he said, his voice low and clipped.

Sarah tilted her head then, regarding him with curiosity. He was...he was ...worried. Worried about her? Worried that she would be upset like last time? But that was...that was just silly. Obviously she wasn't feeling the devastation she did the other night. And he'd been so sure of himself...then again, he was sure of himself that night too.

Something deeply satisfying settled over her as she processed his words. The energy in his eyes...the way he demanded her so impulsively. He wasn't...no...he couldn't possibly have been, dare she say, nervous? Jareth, the mighty Goblin King, was nervous? She wanted to purse her lips and giggle at him, finally able to know what it felt like to have the upper hand. She thought back, wondering what could have set him off this way, and realized, that every time she cried, his actions, his personality even, altered greatly -from the time he'd crushed her hand to now. Hmm...he didn't like having to deal with her tears? Well, that wasn't very surprising, he was a man after all, and, along with apologizing, he probably wasn't used to having to deal with emotional women. _ Hmph, I think I've just found my first weapon..._ she thought to herself. Liana had told her to use herself as a weapon, but she'd thought she'd meant that in a strictly sexual way, and she wasn't ready or able to wield herself like that -he would crush her in an instant. But...as she was now discovering, she could use herself in other ways, not using her body to bewitch him into getting her way, but using her emotions to make him uncomfortable enough to get her way -not that she would actually fall apart and resort to Teary Tina every time she wanted something, it would lose its affect right quick, but still. She'd found a hole in his armor, and she savored it with all her being.

"I...I was just going to clean myself up," she said, maintaining her wary composure in order to hide her inner triumph. Jareth's eyes remained hard on hers, and twitched as they regarded her.

She didn't wait for him to give her permission. She turned, making her way to the door, and placed a hand over the handle. She pushed down and heard the latch click open. She was about to push it open when she paused, looking down to the floor, and smiled.

* * *

**A/N- Yea, so...anal. A hint of it anyway. Hope you enjoyed this installment. I'm not sure which will come first, the next chapter for this or the epilogue for Dreams; but either way I'll try not to make you wait too long. =) Looking forward to feedback. Until next time,**

**-FGBX**


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